In the SEER regions, for the period 1988 to 1992, the incidence rates are generally three to four times higher in men than in women. The lowest rates are in the Asian populations. For women, the highest rates are also in white non-Hispanics and are about twice the rate for Hispanics. Black women, however, have higher rates than Hispanic women. The incidence of bladder cancer increases dramatically with age among men and women in all populations.
Mortality rates are two to three times higher for men than women.
While incidence rates in the white population exceed those for the black population, such is not the case for mortality where the rates are much closer together. Black women who have a lower incidence of bladder cancer than white women actually die from the disease at a greater rate. This difference in survival between black and white populations reflects the fact that in whites a larger proportion of these cancers are diagnosed at an early more treatable stage. Mortality rates for Hispanic and Asian men and women are only about one-half those for whites and blacks. Cigarette smoking is an established risk factor for urinary bladder cancer.