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Bladder cancer begins in the lining of the organ, forming tumors that can interfere with the ability to urinate.
The disease is now the seventh most common cancer in the United States, with 84,530 diagnoses and 17,870 deaths expected this year, according to the American Cancer Society.
While overall rates of bladder cancer have declined since 2000, a study published in July came to an alarming conclusion: Bladder cancer rates were increasing among women under 50.
“What we’ve started to see is that 30 percent of all bladder cancers now affect women, which is incredibly interesting,” Dr. Laura Bukavina, a urologic oncologist at the Cleveland Clinic, said in a statement earlier this month. “And we know there’s some sort of pathology that we don’t understand very well yet.”
This increase was not observed in men and people over 55, who make up the majority of cases.
Although smoking is the main risk factor for bladder cancer, Bukavina says the rise in cases does not appear to be linked to smoking or even genetics. Instead, she noted a possible link to air pollution and water pollution, particularly from microplastics.
“There is an association here, but we don’t know if there is causation,” she explained.
The plastic problem
Microscopic plastic particles – which break down larger plastics produced by humans – have invaded most parts of our bodies, including the urinary tract.
Microplastics have already been found in bladder cancer samples, according to a 2024 study by Australia’s Bond University.
As microplastics spread into our oceans and the air we breathe, scientists are just beginning to learn more about their effects. Researchers at Columbia University and the University of California, Berkeley, recently determined that microplastics are chemically active and can cause biological harm.
The plastic debris damaged cells in the urinary tract causing toxicity and inflammation, Bond University said.
Read with caution
Experts said The Independent that the Cleveland Clinic’s findings warrant further investigation.
The dataset analyzed by Cleveland Clinic researchers, known as TriNetX, is large but may not be representative of the population as a whole, said Dr. Lucy Hooper, a private general practitioner and co-founder of London-based Coyne Medical. TriNetX includes data from 250 million patients collected between 2011 and 2023.
“When we look at population cancer registries, they don’t consistently show the same trend in bladder cancer rates. In fact, some registry data suggests that rates have declined in younger women,” she said.
The Independent contacted Bukavina, the study author at the Cleveland Clinic, for comment.
Notably, overall cancer rates among women under 50 are increasing. “Women under 50 are almost twice as likely to develop cancer as younger men, a gap that has widened since the early 2000s,” says the American Cancer Society.
Women ignore the main symptom
Other research reveals a worrying trend among women linked to bladder cancer, said Stephanie Berg, a medical oncologist at the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute. Bladder cancer is “diagnosed at later stages in women” because it is confused with other problems, such as a urinary tract infection or uterine fibroids.
“Many women ignore the most basic symptom: blood in the urine,” said Meri-Margaret Deoudes, CEO of the Bladder Cancer Advocacy Network. The Independent. “They may associate it with menstruation or menopause and delay reporting this symptom to their doctor.”
Other symptoms to watch for include needing to urinate more often, feeling like you have to rush to urinate, or feeling pain or burning. Unfortunately, waiting until symptoms get worse makes cancer treatment more difficult.
“Even if you notice blood in your pee just once, you should tell your doctor,” said Dr. Kyle Hoedebecke, clinical advisor at Care Point Boston.
Reduce risks
Bladder cancer can be cured, but it frequently comes back and is known as one of the most expensive cancers to treat. To reduce the risk of developing bladder cancer, women should avoid known risk factors.
First, don’t smoke cigarettes. People who smoke are about three times more likely to develop bladder cancer than nonsmokers, according to the University of Minnesota.
Second, try to limit exposure to industrial chemicals found in rubbers, leathers and textiles.
Chemicals in dyes called aromatic amines can cause bladder cancer, as can arsenic in drinking water, genetic history and the use of certain diabetes medications and herbal supplements, according to the American Cancer Society.
Staying hydrated is also crucial. Fluids help flush out lingering chemicals in the bladder.
Maybe don’t drink bottled water. Although researchers don’t yet know how microplastics might be linked to bladder cancer, they do know that bottled water contains more particles.
“The extent to which people should (or even can) change their exposure to microplastics is open to debate, but it seems logical to think about environmental exposure to known cancer drivers to the extent that someone is able to advocate for policy supporting cleaner emissions,” said Dr. Ankeet Shah, assistant professor at Duke Urology. The Independent.
Gn Health
