PURPOSE: To estimate the bladder cancer mortality in persons with spinal cord injury (SCI), as compared to the general population.
MATERIALS AND METHODS: Data and statistics were retrieved from the National SCI Statistical Center and National Center for Health Statistics. The mortality experience of the 45,486 persons with traumatic SCI treated at a SCI Model System or Shriners hospital was compared to the general population, using standardized mortality ratio (SMR). The SMR data were further stratified by age, gender, race, time since injury, and injury severity.
RESULTS: Our study included 566,532 person-years of follow-up between 1960 and 2009, identified 10,575 deaths, and categorized 99 deaths from bladder cancer. The expected number of deaths from bladder cancer would have been 14.8 if persons with SCI had the same bladder cancer mortality as the general population. Thus, SMR is 6.7 (95% confidence interval, 5.4-8.1). Increased mortality risk from bladder cancer was observed for various ages, races, and genders as well as for persons injured for 10 or more years and with motor complete injuries. Bladder cancer mortality was not significantly increased for ventilator users, those with motor incomplete injuries, or those injured less than 10 years.
CONCLUSIONS: People with SCI can potentially live healthier and longer by reducing the incidence and mortality of bladder cancer. Study findings highlight the need to identify at-risk groups and contributing factors for bladder cancer death, leading to the development of prevention, screening, and management strategies.
Written by:
Nahm LS, Chen Y, DeVivo MJ, Lloyd LK. Are you the author?
Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, Stanford University, Stanford, CA; Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL; Department of Urology, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL.
Reference: J Urol. 2015 Jan 20. pii: S0022-5347(15)00159-7.
doi: 10.1016/j.juro.2015.01.070
PubMed Abstract
PMID: 25615534
