Bladder Cancer Risk Factors

At this time, researchers don't know exactly what causes bladder cancer. They have identified several bladder cancer risk factors. A risk factor is something that increases the chance that you may develop a disease.

Known risk factors for bladder cancer include:

• Second hand smoke exposure
  
  
• Race (Caucasians develop the disease more frequently)
  
  
• Gender (males develop the disease more frequently than females
  
  
• Family history of bladder cancer
  
  
• A diet that is high in saturated fat
  
  
• Recurrent urinary tract infections
  
  
• Recurrent urinary stones
  
  
• Chronic inflammation of the bladder
  
  
• Cigarette smoking (smoking is attributed to more than half of cases of bladder cancer)
  
  
• Infection of a parasite called schistosoma haematobium
  
  
• External beam radiation
  
  
• Use of Aristolochia fangchi ( an herb used frequently in weigh loss products)