Clinical experience with transitional cell carcinoma of the bladder with special reference to smoking.

A review was done of 100 consecutive patients with carcinoma of the bladder treated by 1 physician at 1 hospital from June 1982 to December 1986. Special reference was made to the possible effect of cigarette smoking on initial stage, initial grade and recurrences. There was no significant difference in terms of initial tumor stage or grade but smokers had significantly more recurrent tumors. Also, smokers had bladder recurrences after partial cystectomy and urethral recurrences after total cystectomy. The biochemical aspects of smoking as a risk factor in bladder carcinoma are reviewed briefly.