Urinary bladder cancer and schistosomiasis in North-Western Nigeria

An unusually high prevalence of bladder cancer was noticed by clinicians and in the cancer registry of Usmanu Danfodiyo University Teaching Hospital, Sokoto. Several areas of this region were also known to be endemic for urinary schistosomiasis.

To determine the epidemiological characteristics of bladder cancer in the region and to assess the impact of schistosomiasis on these cases.

Retrospective review of clinical and histopathogical records of bladder cancer cases seen at Usmanu Danfodiyo University Teaching Hospital, Sokoto from January 1999 to December 2004.

One hundred and thirty three cases satisfied our criteria for inclusion. There was a 4.7 fold rise in the number of bladder cancer cases between 1999 and 2004. The male to female ratio was 11.1:1.0. The mean age was 46.0 years and ranged from 20 to 82 years. Majority, 107 (80.5%) were farmers and fishermen from regions of the distribution of surrounding river or their smaller tributaries. Squamous Cell Carcinoma comprised 65.1% of histologically verified cases and in 50% of Squamous Cell Carcinoma; there was histological evidence of chronic urinary schistosomiasis.

Bladder cancer is a common malignancy in Sokoto, North-Western Nigeria. The association with chronic urinary schistosomiasis is very strong and the hospital incidence appears to be rising.