《泌尿学杂志》（The Journal of Urology）最近刊登了美国密歇根大学的一项最新研究。研究发现，吸烟不仅可以导致肺、口腔、鼻咽等部位的癌变，还可以导致膀胱癌。同时调查还发现，普通民众对吸烟会致癌的意识还远远不够。
膀胱癌是泌尿系统最常见的恶性肿瘤，发病率居泌尿系统恶性肿瘤的首位。研究发现，烟草中的丙烯醛会引发膀胱上皮的弥散性增生，同时烟草中含有的芳香胺类物质和其它有害物质，多以无活性代谢的形式，经尿液排出体外。在此过程中，由于作用于膀胱的毒性和致突变性效应而引发并形成膀胱癌。
膀胱癌治疗花费很大，往往患者会给家庭带来巨大的经济困难。通过对普通民众的调查显示，人们对吸烟危害身体健康的意识还远远不够，调查人数中只有22%知道吸烟会导致癌症。
同时研究表明，那些曾经是烟民而现在戒烟的人要比目前仍在吸烟者患膀胱癌的危险低，即使是重度吸烟者，如果他们开始戒烟，也能减少患膀胱癌的危险，这也说明戒烟具有一定的效果。研究人员希望该研究能够引起一些烟民的重视，为了自己以及家人尽早戒烟。（生物谷Bioon.com）
生物谷推荐原始出处：
The Journal of Urology，doi:10.1016/j.juro.2008.03.045，Seth A. Strope and James E. Montie
The Causal Role of Cigarette Smoking in Bladder Cancer Initiation and Progression, and the Role of Urologists in Smoking Cessation
Seth A. Strope and James E. Montie
Purpose
Cigarette smoking is a well established risk factor for bladder cancer. We characterize the changing impact of this exposure throughout the course of bladder cancer from incidence through progression. We also discuss how understanding the risk of bladder cancer attributable to smoking can help urologists effectively communicate with their patients and influence smoking cessation in their patients.
Materials and Methods
A review using the MEDLINE® database from 1975 through 2007 was performed to search for studies from the epidemiological and medical literature on cigarette smoking and bladder cancer.
Results
Cigarette smoking accounts for up to 50% of all incident bladder cancer cases, an attributable fraction that may be increasing. The general public is not informed of the association between cigarette smoking and bladder cancer, and physicians do a poor job of counseling patients regarding this risk. Smoking cessation has proven beneficial in decreasing the risk of many smoking related illnesses, including bladder cancer. Simple physician interventions can be effective in triggering patient attempts at quitting smoking.
Conclusions
Bladder cancer is causally related to cigarette smoking but this knowledge may not be well disseminated to patients. Furthermore, cigarette smoking cessation decreases bladder cancer risk and may decrease the recurrence of superficial bladder cancer. Urologists have a vital role in influencing patient knowledge of their smoking risk and in encouraging smoking cessation.
