Bladder Cancer and elderly men
The International Society of Men’s Health will discuss the newest treatments and innovations in bladder cancer, including the surrounding controversy regarding screening at the Men’s Health World Congress. “It is imperative that health care practitioners and researchers from disparate disciplines collectively focus efforts towards gaining a better understanding of what the consequences of bladder cancer and its treatments are, and how to appropriately meet the multifaceted medical and psychosocial needs of this growing population.“ said Dr. Shahrokh Shariat, a cutting-edge researcher and Scientific Committee Member of the Men’s Health World Congress.
Who is at risk?
Age and gender play tremendous influence regarding the incidence of bladder cancer. Men are nearly four times more likely to develop bladder cancer than women. However, age also matters – older age is the greatest single risk cancer for developing bladder cancer. This paints the picture of a patient population that physicians should pay particular attention to the elderly male – when dealing with this urological malignancy.
To screen or not to screen?
Although we know that male gender and older age are important risk factors, presently there are no evidence-based recommendations in place to help guide healthcare professionals. Despite the fact that previously published studies have proven that bladder cancer screening leads to improved cancer-specific and overall survival, several task forces have recommended against routine screening.
Prevention or Placebo?
There has been tremendous interest in identifying possible supplements in the prevention of bladder cancer. Previously published studies found that supplementation with Vitamin-A and/or Vitamin-E had no impact in preventing bladder cancer. Currently, researchers are studying the role and potential benefits, if any – of Soy extract and Cox-2 inhibitors.