The incidence of squamous and transitional cell carcinomas of the urinary bladder in northern Tanzania in areas of high and low levels of endemic Schistosoma haematobium infection

Abstract

Squamous cell carcinoma is the commonest type of bladder malignancy in most areas of northern Tanzania. Of 172 cases of bladder cancer recorded in 9 years, 72% were squamous cell carcinomas. Of these, 46% had Schistosoma haematobium eggs in sections taken from tumour tissue. The geographical distribution of this tumour closely corresponded to the prevalence of S. haematobium infection. The Mt Kilimanjaro area is free of schistosomiasis and virtually lacks squamous cell carcinoma. Although transitional cell carcinoma is rare in all regions of northern Tanzania, the relative frequency of bladder cancer in the Mt Kilimanjaro area was only one-third of that seen in other regions; population-based incidence rates were also very low in this area.