Its purpose is to store urine produced by the kidneys. According to American Cancer Society estimates, each year there are more than 50,000 new cases of bladder cancer and 12,000 deaths from cancer of the bladder. This makes bladder cancer the fifth most common type of cancer and the twelfth leading cause of cancer deaths. Bladder cancer usually strikes people over the age of 55, but it can affect younger people as well. Males are affected three times more frequently than women, and the disease is twice as common in Caucasians as it is in African-Americans.
Smoking is by far the most significant risk factor for bladder cancer.
Smokers develop bladder cancer two to three times more often than do nonsmokers. People with a family history of bladder cancer are also at increased risk. In addition, occupational exposure to certain types of chemicals is believed to increase the risk for bladder cancer. This is particularly true for a class of chemicals known as aromatic amines that are commonly found in the textile, leather, rubber, dye, paint, hairdressing and organic chemical industries. Because bladder cancer is far less common than such well-known diseases as cancer of the breast or colon, most people are not familiar with its warning signs or early symptoms.