There are, at least, twelve cancers associated with cigarette smoking. One of the most well-known is the lung, followed by the mouth, tongue, cheek and larynx. Cigarette smoke contains more than 7 thousand chemical substances, of which approximately 70 are carcinogenic and toxic, like the tar, nicotine, arsenic, formaldehyde, polonium-210, cadmium and nickel. These by-products directly injure the DNA of the cells, cause mutations (changes) that make grow indefinitely and cause tumors, neoplastic. It has also been shown that the risk of cancer is high in the smoking of hookah and e-cigarettes.

Currently, in Argentina, there are about 60 thousand cases for this cause, and was diagnosed about 5 thousand more per year.

Bladder cancer is the seventh most commonly diagnosed cancer in the male population worldwide, and is the tenth when he considers the two genres. His association with the cigarette is high because the tobacco is attributed to about 50% of all cases diagnosed as triple the risk of suffering it. With every cigarette you suck in a mixture of these harmful compounds, which are absorbed into the blood, pass through the kidneys and are eliminated by the urine. While the urine remains in the bladder to be expelled, this organ bladder is exposed for several hours to these chemicals are highly concentrated and this presence for years causes changes irritative that can engender cancer.

In many cases, the bladder cancer has no symptoms, but when it does, the main warning sign is the appearance of blood in the urine, known as “hematuria”, which is not specific to cancer, but it must be a sign evocative of the medical consultation, like the discomfort of urinary tract as a need to urinate frequently and in low amounts, or pain or burning when you do this, among others.

An effective way to prevent this type of cancer is to quit tobacco as soon as possible, and avoid the smoke of the environment where others smoke (passive smoking).

Quit smoking promotes a 50% reduction in the probability of cancer of the mouth, throat or larynx within 5 to 10 years to have abandoned the habit, it limits the possibility of cancer of the bladder, esophagus, kidney or within 10 years later, and diminishes by 50% the probability of cancer of the lung within 10 to 15 years following. On the other hand, within 20 years of smoking cessation, the risk of cancer of the mouth, throat, pharynx, or pancreas is reduced to almost match that has a person who does not smoke and, also, low-almost half the chance of cancer of the cervix.

Many times, bladder cancer is asymptomatic, but the warning sign is the most important blood in the urine. Your shade will depend on the amount of blood and the color is usually orange, pink or dark red. Usually, they are intermittent: a day appears without any pain or burning sensation, then disappears and does not re-bleeding until a certain time. By these characteristics, many times it is not given importance and it takes months, or even years, until it begins to have symptoms more intense. It is then when the query is performed, the reason for which is not diagnosed early.

However, the blood in the urine is not exclusive of bladder cancer because there are also other causes such as urinary tract infectionstones in the kidney or in the urinary tract, medications, trauma, kidney disease, or prostate, but it is important to immediately consult with the urologist to an episode.

Along with the presence of blood in the urine, there are other signs and symptoms that may be indicative of the existence of bladder cancer: pain in the lower part of the abdomen, urinating more often than usual, pain or burning when you do this, and feeling that you need to go to the bathroom all the time.

In synthesis, such as bladder cancer has a high cure rates when detected in early stages, it is important to consult before any bleeding or symptoms of urine, especially in smokers.

Dr. Paula Grinstein, medical uróloga, the Argentine Center of Urology.