Management of muscle-invasive and advanced bladder cancer

At initial diagnosis, 30% of bladder cancer cases are already diagnosed as muscle-invasive disease (MIBC). Tobacco smoking is the best established as well as the principal preventable risk factor for bladder cancer. It accounts for 50€“65% of male cases and 20€“30% of female cases.4 The other risk factors include occupational exposure to certain chemicals, previous radiotherapy, bladder schistosomiasis, chronic urinary tract infections, previous chemotherapy and potentially dietary factors. Women were more likely to be diagnosed with primary muscle-invasive disease than men (85% versus 51%).2 It has also been suggested that women are more likely to be older than men at