Prostatic hypertrophy and venereal disease as possible risk factors in the development of bladder cancer.

In three urological predictors, nocturia, prostatic surgery for prostatic hypertrophy and a previous venereal disease, a significantly increased relative risk (RR) of developing bladder cancer was detected. An epidemiological case control investigation was performed on 165 male bladder cancer patients and an equal number of male controls matched concerning age and geographical area. The sample was obtained from a predominantly rural district. The theoretical individual risk factors were calculated by the aid of a multivariate logistic analysis. Twenty-four patients versus 11 controls had a history of prostatic surgery (RR = 2.38) for benign prostatic hypertrophy, 60 patients versus 36 controls complained of nocturia at least 2 years before presenting symptoms of bladder cancer (RR = 2.05), and 16 patients versus seven controls had a history of venereal disease (RR = 2.42). The results seems to indicate that prostatic hypertrophy and previous venereal disease may at least in part be factors of importance associated with bladder cancer.