Gender differences in stage distribution of bladder cancer

doi:10.1016/S0090-4295(99)00481-1

Urology

Volume 55, Issue 3, March 2000, Pages 368-371

https://doi.org/10.1016/S0090-4295(99)00481-1 Get rights and content

Abstract

Objectives. To compare stage distribution between men and women with bladder cancer at first presentation.

Methods. The population-based Netherlands Cancer Registry was used to investigate stage differences of newly diagnosed bladder cancer, including upper urinary tract tumors in female and male patients.

Results. The stage distribution at first presentation for both bladder cancer and upper urinary tract tumors was slightly worse in female patients with transitional cell carcinoma than in male patients. The stage differences were more clear in non-transitional cell carcinoma (squamous cell carcinoma, adenocarcinoma, and sarcoma) of the bladder, with female patients presenting with higher stages. Because of the large numbers, these gender differences in stage distribution were statistically significant in both TCC (P <0.0001) and non-TCC (P <0.0001).

Conclusions. Treating physicians should be aware that female patients are more frequently diagnosed with higher stages at the first presentation for bladder cancer and upper urinary tract tumors.

Section snippets

Material and methods

The Netherlands Cancer Registry is a population-based cancer registry. All bladder malignancies, including carcinoma in situ and noninvasive bladder cancer, diagnosed from 1989 to 1994 in people living in The Netherlands were registered nationwide. The cancer registry collects the data according to a minimum data set, which includes identification data (eg, name, date of birth, sex, and postal code) and tumor data (eg, topography, morphology, stage, and date of incidence). The minimum data set

Results

The study population consisted of 21,795 patients with bladder cancer who were reported to The Netherlands Cancer Registry between 1989 and 1994. Of these 21,795 tumors, 20,541 (94.3%) were TCC, of which 16,415 were in male patients (79.9%) and 4126 were in female patients (20.1%), giving a male/female ratio of 4:1. The 1254 non-TCC bladder tumors accounted for 5.7%, of which 800 were in male patients (63.8%) and 454 in female patients (36.2%). Male patients had more superficial TCC (pTa, pT1,

Comment

Trends in stage distribution between the two sexes have been described using several statistical methods and different staging systems. The use of different staging systems makes it difficult to compare various population groups. Moreover, whether gender differences in bladder cancer exist remains controversial at present because of some contradictory reports.1, 2, 3

In a retrospective Spanish study on TCC of the bladder between 1975 and 1991, 440 patients with superficial and 117 patients with

Conclusions

Stage distribution differences were observed between men and women with bladder cancer and TCC of the UUT in this large series. These differences were more significantly evident in non-TCC bladder tumors. Despite the explanations mentioned, bladder cancer remains a challenge for further studies. However, female patients should be investigated carefully, and physicians should be aware of the possibility of higher stages of bladder cancer in women in whom bladder cancer is diagnosed.

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Citation Excerpt :
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Adult UrologyGender differences in stage distribution of bladder cancer

Abstract

Section snippets

Material and methods

Results

Comment

Conclusions

Eur J Cancer

Urology

Ann Epidemiol

Influencia de la diferencia de sexo en la agresividad biologica del tumor uretelial vesical en su primer diagnostica

Acta Urol Esp

The national cancer data base report on bladder carcinoma

Cancer

Decreasing bladder cancer mortality in the Netherlands

Br J Urol

Five year follow-up of patients with cancer of the bladder. The Northern Alberta experience

Clin Invest Med

Bladder cancer in Estonia, 1968–1992incidence, mortality, prevalence and survival

Scand J Urol Nephrol

Mortalite par cancer de la vessie en France, de 1952 a 1976. Son evolation crossante et sa repartition geographique particuliere dans sud de la France

Bull Cancer

Adult Urology
Gender differences in stage distribution of bladder cancer