John Sciberras: Half of all bladder cancer is associated with cigarette smoking. Photo: Chris Sant Fournier

If you do not have enough good reasons to quit smoking, add to your list bladder cancer, the seventh most common cancer in men.

More common than testicular cancer, it is often an overlooked disease and there is not much awareness about its symptoms and causes.

With a high incidence in Malta – around 65 new cases every year – bladder cancer is on average the ninth most common cancer worldwide.

Latest figures, drawn up in 2012, placed Malta as the country with the third highest incidence worldwide, following Belgium and Lebanon.

On average, 50 men and 15 women are diagnosed in Malta every year, and 20 men and 10 women lose their life to this cancer annually.

Speaking to The Sunday Times of Malta during bladder cancer awareness month, consultant urologist John Sciberras noted that half of all bladder cancer is associated with cigarette smoking, so a lot of bladder cancer can be easily prevented if people stopped.

Anyone who sees blood in urine, usually painless, should speak to his doctor immediately

However, those who quit smoking years ago should remain on the alert, as they are still at risk of developing bladder cancer even 10 years have passed.

While smoking is a big risk factor, another 20 to 25 per cent of bladder cancer is associated with chemical exposure, such as in the petroleum or chemical dye industry.

If you needed one more reason to kick that habit, you've found it. Photo: Shutterstock

Mr Sciberras explained that when caught at an early stage, bladder cancer was easily treated, however, if left undiagnosed for a long time, patients could need aggressive surgery, radiotherapy and chemotherapy.

“Anyone who sees blood in urine, usually painless, should speak to his doctor immediately, because although it could boil down to an infection, it could also indicate kidney or bladder cancer,” he said.

A simple urine test will rule out infection and further investigations are also carried out. This includes imaging of the kidney and an endoscopy (a camera test) under a local anaesthetic.

“Although symptoms could be related to non-malignant diseases, be very careful to not just dismiss them as an infection.

“This is especially common with women, who are in fact diagnosed at later stages and have a worse prognosis,” Mr Sciberras noted.

Mr Sciberras noted that three fourths of diagnosed bladder cancer is non- invasive or superficial and is removed through minimally invasive surgery and chemotherapy installed in the bladder itself. A quarter is invasive and patients need more aggressive treatment.

Although bladder cancer can be totally removed, those diagnosed are advised lifelong surveillance as it could return elsewhere.