Bladder Cancer Risk Predicted by Low Levels of Blood in the Urine

Blood in the urine, whether visible to the naked eye or not, is an early warning sign for the development of bladder cancer.

Investigators at the University of Exeter Medical School (United Kingdom) reviewed data accumulated between January 2000 and December 2009 to compare levels of blood in the urine (hematuria) in 4,915 patients who were over 40 years old and had been diagnosed with bladder cancer to that found for 21,718 controls matched for age, sex, and practice.

They reported that the risk of bladder cancer was 1.6% in individuals over the age of 60 who had blood in their urine that was measurable but not visible to the naked eye.

First author Sarah Price, a pre-doctoral student at the University of Exeter Medical School, said, "It is well known that if you see blood in your urine you should contact your GP, who is likely to refer you for tests. But there is no clear guidance for GPs on what to do if they detect blood that is not visible during routine tests. We are hopeful that our findings will now lead to robust guidance that it warrants further investigation. Early diagnosis is crucial to have the best chance of successfully treating bladder cancer. The three-quarters of patients who are diagnosed early have much better outcomes than those whose disease is diagnosed late. Anything we can do to boost early detection is crucial to help save lives."

The study was published in the September 1, 2014, issue of the British Journal of General Practice.

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University of Exeter Medical School