The influence of toxic working environment on the urothelial bladder tumors characteristics, the experience of "Sf. Ioan" Clinical Emergency Hospital on selected series

A correlation between urothelial bladder tumor incidence and exposure to various occupational toxic factors was established for more than a century. The aim of our study was to establish the relationship between these two features. We analyzed one hundred consecutive bladder tumor patients treated in "Sf. Ioan" Clinical Emergency Hospital, Department of Urology. These cases were studied concerning their occupation and pathological findings. We identified 58 patients having potential urothelial bladder tumors inducing occupations: dye industry, motor vehicle drivers and miners. Among these patients, the incidence of muscle invasive tumors was of 33%, of the high-grade tumors was of 69%, of the multiple tumors was of 60% and of the associated CIS lesions was of 38%. All these rates were significantly lower in the non-occupational hazard group: 12%, 26%, 29% and 14% respectively. Exposure to occupational toxic factors seems to influence the evolution of urothelial bladder tumor into more aggressive patterns. Further studies in this regard are necessary.