Schistosomiasis and bladder carcinoma in Natal

In a retrospective study 184 biopsy reports of primary malignant bladder tumours in males which had been received from the Department of Pathology, University of Natal, during 1971-1982 were analysed. The age and race of the patients, the histological type of the tumours and the presence or absence of concomitant schistosomal infection were noted. There were 103 squamous and 62 transitional cell carcinomas, and 19 adenocarcinomas or undifferentiated types of malignant tumour. Of the patients 153 were Blacks and 31 Indians, 61,4% of the Blacks had squamous cell carcinoma, as against 29% of the Indians (P less than 0,01). Bladder carcinoma among Blacks occurred at a younger age (5th decade) than that among Indians (6th decade). The prevalence of schistosomiasis in the whole group was 40,8%. The prevalence was highest in the Blacks (44,4%); in the Indians it was 22,6%. Schistosomal infection was most commonly associated with squamous cell carcinoma (61%) (P less than 0,0001).