Environmental factors promoting bladder cancer.
OBJECTIVE
To understand the molecular mechanisms of bladder carcinogenesis in relation to environmental carcinogens in order to provide a given population with a preventive value of bladder cancer.


RESULTS
Cigarette smoking, aromatic amines contained in dyes, chronic inflammation due to infection such as schistosomiasis, anticancer drugs, drug abuse of analgesic, and radiation are considered as well known risk factors of bladder cancer. Several environmental factors are supposed to be involved in carcinogenesis, cancer progression, and patient's prognosis in bladder cancer. On the basis of the results of recent genetic studies in relation to bladder carcinogenesis, several genetic polymorphisms of detoxification or DNA repair such as N-acetyltransferase 2, glutathione S-transferases, and human 8-oxoguanine DNA glycosylase 1 give us important information in relation to environmental risk factors and ethnic differences for predicting the prognosis of patients with bladder cancer.


CONCLUSIONS
Prevention of environmental carcinogens is important from the viewpoint of the social and clinical problems since elucidation of the correlation between epidemiologic and genetic phenomenon enable us to improve the life expectancy and quality of life of bladder cancer patients.
Hirao
Yoshihiko
Y
Department of Urology, Nara Medical University, Nara, Japan. hiraoyos@naramed-u.ac.jp
Kim
Wun-Jae
WJ
Fujimoto
Kiyohide
K
D001191:Arylamine N-Acetyltransferase / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D001249:Asthma / Q000150:complications; D045647:DNA Glycosylases / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D004781:Environmental Exposure / Q000009:adverse effects*; D020022:Genetic Predisposition to Disease; D005838:Genotype; D005982:Glutathione Transferase / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D006801:Humans; D012307:Risk Factors; D012907:Smoking / Q000009:adverse effects; D014376:Tuberculosis / Q000150:complications; D001749:Urinary Bladder Neoplasms / Q000201:enzymology / Q000209:etiology* / Q000517:prevention & control
D001191:Arylamine N-Acetyltransferase; C478900:NAT2 protein, human; D005982:Glutathione Transferase; D045647:DNA Glycosylases; C479058:oxoguanine glycosylase 1, human