STD Doubles Bladder Cancer Risk in Men

STD Doubles Bladder Cancer Risk in Men

Men who have had gonorrhea have double the risk of developing bladder cancer, according to a study that may be the strongest link yet between the cancer and the STD.

Researchers at the Harvard School of Public Health (HSPH) examined detailed questionnaires and medical records for 51,529 US men taken from the Health Professionals Follow-Up Study, which began in 1986. A total of 286 cases of bladder cancer were identified in which complete information on gonorrhea history was available.

"Two studies have previously suggested a link between gonorrhea and bladder cancer in men," said Dominique Michaud, assistant professor of epidemiology at HSPH and lead author of the study. "But these were retrospective studies, meaning information on gonorrhea history was gathered after the cancer was diagnosed. These studies can sometimes give misleading results."

"We observed a two-fold increase in bladder cancer risk among men with a history of gonorrhea," Michaud said.

"Gonorrhea is an infection that often recurs, causing local inflammation and symptoms such as incomplete emptying of the bladder," Michaud said. "The inflammation itself or the associated symptoms could be contributing to the development of bladder cancer. The severity and frequency of these symptoms may dictate the extent of the increased risk."

According to the study, a history of gonorrhea also increases the risk of invasive bladder cancer, which leads to a poorer prognosis.

"This study strengthens the suspected link between infection with the gonorrhea bacterium and bladder cancer in men," said Professor John Toy, medical director of Cancer Research UK, which owns the journal that published the study. "The next step is to confirm whether the increased risk could be caused directly by the gonorrhea infection or its symptoms."

The study, "Gonorrhea and Male Bladder Cancer in a Prospective Study," was published in the British Journal of Cancer (2007;96:169-171).

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Gonorrhea - Urine PCR

In the early stages, 80% of women infected with Gonorrhea have no visible signs of infection.
Gonorrhea is not limited to the sex organs. It can also infect the mouth or throat as a result of oral sex.
If left untreated, gonorrhea can cause: pelvic inflammatory disease (PID), infertility, crippling arthritis and blindness in newborns
Gonorrhea is a curable sexually transmitted disease
The urine test is highly specific (98.9%).

What is Gonorrhea infection?

Gonorrhea is also a curable sexually transmitted disease (STD) caused by a bacterium which usually infects a man's urethra and a woman's cervix. Gonorrhea is not limited to the sex organs. It can also infect the mouth or throat as a result of oral sex. The rectum can be infected as well, either indirectly by drainage from the vagina or cervix or directly due to anal sex.

Gonorrhea is much more aggressive than Chlamydia and usually produces lots of pus and pain in men though it may be silent for a while in women. A small number of people may be infected for several months without showing symptoms.

Symptoms: In the early stages, 80% of infected women have no visible signs of infection. When symptoms are evident, they appear two days to three weeks after sexual contact with an infected partner. Symptomatic women usually have a vaginal discharge and a recurring minor infection. Men usually exhibit symptoms. These include a discharge from the penis and a severe burning sensation during urination.

Complications: If left untreated, gonorrhea can cause:

v pelvic inflammatory disease (PID), infertility, crippling arthritis (Reiter's syndrome), blindness in newborns (the eyes of newborns are always treated with either silver nitrate or an antibiotic to protect them from this disease). Gonorrhea is not limited to the sex organs. It can also infect the mouth or throat as a result of oral sex.

Testing: A culture test detects gonorrhea. A sample of discharge is obtained from the woman's cervix or the man's urethra. These samples are tested later in a laboratory for the presence of the gonorrheal bacteria's DNA .A new test that uses urine for a DNA PCR analysis also detects the bacteria. The urine tests are as accurate or more so than culturing the bacteria, and many doctors use them as does the US Military.

Treatment: Gonorrhea can be cured with penicillin or other antibiotics. To avoid reinfection, all sexual partners must be treated. As with other infections, however, complications resulting from gonorrhea, including sterility, may not be reversible.

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