Urinary bladder cancer risk factors in Egypt: a multicenter case-control study

Area of Science:

• Oncology
• Epidemiology
• Public Health

Background:

• Investigated the interplay between tobacco exposure, schistosomiasis infection, and bladder cancer risk in Egypt.
• Examined associations with specific bladder cancer subtypes: urothelial carcinoma and squamous cell carcinoma (SCC).

Purpose of the Study:

• To determine the independent and combined effects of tobacco use and schistosomiasis on bladder cancer risk.
• To provide evidence for the etiological factors contributing to bladder cancer in a high-prevalence region.

Main Methods:

• Case-control study design involving 1,886 bladder cancer cases and 2,716 controls.
• Logistic regression analysis to estimate odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) for various exposures.
• Adjusted for potential confounding factors including age, gender, and residence.

Main Results:

• Cigarette smoking increased urothelial carcinoma risk in men (OR=1.8).
• Combined water pipe and cigarette smoking significantly elevated risk for both urothelial carcinoma (OR=2.9) and SCC (OR=1.8) in men.
• Environmental tobacco smoke exposure was linked to increased urothelial carcinoma risk in both genders.
• Schistosomiasis history was associated with increased risk of both urothelial carcinoma and SCC in women (OR=1.9) and men (OR=1.4).

Conclusions:

• Both schistosomiasis infection and tobacco smoking are significant risk factors for bladder cancer subtypes.
• Concurrent exposure to schistosomiasis and tobacco smoking may synergistically increase bladder cancer risk.
• Findings highlight the importance of public health interventions targeting smoking cessation and schistosomiasis control in Egypt.