The association of bladder cancer risk with ethnicity, gender, and smoking

This study examined patterns of invasive bladder cancer by ethnicity and gender. Odds ratios were computed by comparing 593 patients of known smoking status and diagnosed during the period from 1984 to 1988 with a randomly selected referent group using a logistic regression model that adjusted for differences in age and current occupation. Age-adjusted incidence rates for non-Hispanic whites were approximately twice those of Hispanics and Asian and Pacific Islanders. After adjustment for smoking and occupational exposures, the risks did not differ significantly, indicating that ethnic differences in bladder cancer incidence may be related to smoking and occupational exposures. The odds ratio for males relative to females was 5.95 (95% confidence interval (CI), 4.36 to 8.12), after adjustment for ethnicity, smoking status, occupation, and age, suggesting that gender differences not previously identified may play an important role in the etiology of bladder cancer. Odds ratios associated with amount smoked per day, for current smokers relative to nonsmokers, ranged from 1.04 for those smoking less than 1 pack per day (95% CI, 0.62 to 1.71) to 6.84 for those smoking 2 or more packs per day (95% CI, 4.67 to 10.03).