According to a study from the National Institutes of Health and the AARP, compounds which are used in meat processing may increase the risk of bladder cancer.
The study ran for eight years beginning in 1995 and analyzed 300,000 men and women, aged 50 to 71. The subjects reported on their diet and health habits. After eight years, 854 were diagnosed with bladder cancer.
The study determined that the people who had the highest intakes of dietary nitrite from all food sources, as well as those with the highest amounts of nitrate from processed meats were 28-29 percent more likely to develop bladder cancer than the subjects with the lowest nitrate intake.
Other studies have already linked cancer risk with the consumption of processed meats. This study will help scientists further understand the correlation.
Bladder cancer develops as bladder cells begin to grow uncontrollably and form tumors. Almost all bladder cancer is found early, and therefore can be treated.
The direct cause of bladder cancer has not yet been found. However, probable causes may be exposure to certain chemicals such as those used in the wood, rubber and textile industries, smoking, heavy consumption of fried meats and fats, and parasites from developing countries. Caucasian males over the age of 40 have the highest risk of getting bladder cancer.
The main symptoms of bladder cancer are blood in the urine, having to urinate often and feeling pain while urinating. However, these symptoms may also cause other things, such as a urinary tract infection, which is why it is very important to tell your doctor if you are experiencing any symptoms.
Bladder cancer is diagnosed through physical exams, a urine test and a cystoscopy, or a test where the doctor looks into your bladder with a thin tool. Treatment involves surgery, chemotherapy, immunotherapy or radiation therapy, depending on how much the cancer has grown.
Learn more about bladder cancer at NorthShore University HealthSystem.
