Obesity, Physical Activity and Bladder Cancer

Area of Science:

• Oncology
• Epidemiology
• Lifestyle Medicine

Background:

• Smoking and chemical exposure are known bladder cancer risks.
• The roles of modifiable lifestyle factors like physical activity and obesity require further clarification.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the associations between obesity, physical activity, and bladder cancer risk.
• To synthesize findings from existing cohort and case-control studies.

Main Methods:

• Systematic literature search of PubMed for relevant cohort and case-control studies.
• Analysis of 31 identified studies focusing on obesity, physical activity, or both in relation to bladder cancer.
• Assessment of study heterogeneity in population, outcomes, and methodology.

Main Results:

• Obesity showed mixed associations with bladder cancer incidence/prevalence (44% positive, 56% null).
• Obesity was linked to increased bladder cancer progression, recurrence, or mortality in several studies.
• Physical activity demonstrated predominantly null associations with bladder cancer incidence/prevalence (64%), with some positive (9%) and negative (27%) findings.

Conclusions:

• Obesity may be associated with an elevated risk of bladder cancer, especially concerning progression, recurrence, and mortality.
• Further research is necessary to clarify the impact of physical activity on bladder cancer development and survival.