Water and Sun Linked to Bladder Cancer
Reported May 04, 2009
(Ivanhoe Newswire) Smoking cigarettes may not be the only risk factor for bladder cancer. New research shows certain ecological factors, including well water and sun exposure, may put you at an increased risk of bladder cancer.
“Cigarette smoking is a well-known risk factor associated with bladder cancer but sources such as the patient’s water supply are coming to light as potential unmonitored risk factors,” J. Brantley Thrasher, M.D., a spokesperson for the American Urological Association, was quoted as saying.
Pesticide contamination in unmonitored domestic wells could explain the studys findings, which showed well water intake was directly linked with bladder cancer incidence in women and mortality rates in both sexes. Solar UV radiation was identified as the best predictor of bladder cancer incidence and mortality in men, while smoking and solar UV radiation showed the strongest link to bladder cancer in women.
SOURCE: Presented at the Annual Scientific Meeting of the American Urological Association