Bladder carcinoma in patients 40 years old or less.

A total of 50 patients 40 years old or less presented with transitional cell carcinoma of the bladder between 1967 and 1982: 24 were 15 to 30 years old (group 1) and 26 were 31 to 40 years old (group 2). Of the patients 2 (8 per cent) in group 1 and 14 (54 per cent) in group 2 had recurrences. Invasion did not occur in group 1 but it did occur in 3 patients in group 2. Almost two-thirds of each group smoked roughly 20 cigarettes per day. It would appear that bladder carcinoma in patients 30 years old or less has a favorable prognosis but it still should be followed carefully. Disease occurring when the patient is 31 to 40 years old has a much worse prognosis and is no different from that affecting the older age groups.