Smoking and bladder cancer in Egypt.

A case control study of smoking was carried out on 365 Egyptian males with bladder cancer divided into 278 patients (76%) with previous urinary bilharziasis and 87 (24%) without past infestation. The smoking index was significantly higher in both bilharzial and non-bilharzial patients with bladder cancer than their controls. A significant association was found between heavy and moderate cigarette smoking and bladder cancer developing in non-bilharzial subjects. The local habit of "meassel" smoking did not differ significantly between bladder cancer patients and controls.