Background and Introduction: Urinary bladder cancer (UBC) is defined as a malignant neoplasm of the urinary bladder. Cancer of the urinary bladder is estimated to be the ninth most common cause of cancer worldwide and the thirteenth most numerous cause of death from cancer. Moreover, in Africa, incidence rates are disproportionately high, and studies conducted have shown that the highest estimated mortality is in Egypt (1, 2).

In the same light, urinary bladder cancer occurrence in developing countries such as ours is predominated by tumour types that are related to various infections. However, as argue Ploeg, M., et al. (3), this is rapidly changing because socioeconomic progress is often seen with an increase in smoking prevalence. Consequently with increasing trends of smoking-related cancers such as urinary bladder cancer.

In numerical terms, in the western hemisphere, cigarette smoking accounts for 50% of incidence rates in males and 35% in females, and occupational carcinogens are the most important risk factors for urothelial carcinoma, which represents the majority of urinary bladder cancer incidence in developed countries. In contrast chronic urinary infection caused by Schistosoma haematobium (also known as Schistosomiasis or bilharzia) is associated with the development of squamous cell carcinoma type of urinary bladder cancer. In regions where this infection is endemic (for instance here in Africa) SSC was for years the dominant histopathological type of UBC. Because of the endemicity of this infection in such areas, studies in Egypt have yielded the highest incidence of urinary bladder cancer in the world: the incidence of 37.1 per 100,000 males –being almost two times higher than in western countries. (3, 4). Subsequently the mortality rates derived from these studies are also astounding –a whopping three times greater than the highest rates in Europe and Eight time those in the USA. (1)

Several causal factors of urinary bladder cancer have been identified, including specific chemicals, occupations, infections and environmental exposures. Such factors include occupational exposures (particularly chemical and rubber workers, leather workers, painters, dye workers, mine workers, truck drivers, garage and fuel-station workers), cigarette smoking/tobacco use, alcohol consumption, coffee drinking, and artificial sweetener user of several others. (5)

In a study reported by Wynder, E., et al. (6), it was investigated whether bladder stones(s) may be associated with urinary bladder cancer; though it was concluded that no other bladder disease, except for bilharziasis, has so far been linked to urinary bladder cancer. Furthermore, pelvic irradiation as well as and some chemical agents (such as cyclophosphamide) have been found to increase the risk of urinary bladder cancer.