Are tobacco use and urine pH indicated as risk factors for bladder carcinoma?

Many case-control and cohort studies have shown a positive relationship between bladder carcinoma and tobacco use. Recently, urine pH has been reported to influence aromatic amine carcinogenesis, which have been implicated as potent carcinogens in bladder carcinoma patients. Herein the correlation between bladder carcinoma, tobacco use and urine pH is reported.

One hundred and forty-one patients with bladder carcinoma and 128 patients with benign prostatic hyperplasia or urolithiasis as controls were selected. All patients were admitted to Osaka City University Hospital for the purpose of surgical treatment. Urine pH was checked by a test tape.

Of the patients with bladder carcinoma, 106 were smokers and 35 were non-smokers. In contrast, the number of smokers in the control group was 76 and that of non-smokers was 52. The odds ratio in the bladder carcinoma group calculated for the smoker patients was 2.07, showing a significant correlation between bladder carcinoma and tobacco use. Regarding urine pH, acidic urine was found in 126 patients in the bladder carcinoma group and in 116 patients in the control group. The odds ratio in the bladder carcinoma group for acidic urine was 0.87, showing no significant relationship between bladder carcinoma and urine pH.

The study found a positive relationship between bladder carcinoma and tobacco use; however, it could not establish a clear relationship between bladder carcinoma and urine pH, even in the smoker group.