Sex-dependent variations in natural history of transitional cell carcinoma of bladder

The records of 196 patients with transitional cell carcinoma of the bladder diagnosed up to 1975 were analyzed for age, sex, tumor histology, and survival parameters. Analysis of the series as a whole showed it to be comparable to literature controls in the male to female ratio, average age at presentation, and in survival data. Sex stratification combined with parametric analysis showed that females had longer recurrence-free survivals and died less frequently of bladder cancer than their male counterparts. In addition, the incidence of high-grade tumors was lower in females. These facts and the comments that follow point to a probable less aggressive natural history of transitional cell carcinoma of the bladder in females.