Background. Except for smoking and certain occupational exposures, the
etiology of bladder cancer is largely unknown. Several case reports have
described familial aggregation of transitional cell carcinoma of the bladder.
Although the majority of patients with bladder cancer do not have family
history of transitional cell carcinoma of the urinary tract, the study of
familial transitional cell carcinoma may lead to the knowledge on the
pathogenesis of this disease. The purpose of this study was to describe three
cases of urinary bladder cancer in a single three-member family, i.e. in two
generations (mother and son) and a family member related by marriage (the
patient?s wife). Case report. Three cases of urinary bladder cancer occurred
in a three-member family within the interval of 5 years. The following common
characteristics were detected in our patients: old age (over 60), working as
farmers for more than 50 years, negative personal medical history on relevant
health disorders, place of birth - village, place of residence - village, the
same water supply, similar nutrition, positive family history on urinary
bladder cancer or other malignant tumors, the first sign of illness was
macroscopic hematuria in all the patients and the same pathohistological type
of cancer - carcinoma papillare transitiocellulare. Conclusion. The stated
common characteristics in our cases indicate, above all, the impact of
exposure to external surrounding factors on the occurrence of urinary bladder
cancer.
The prognostic value of family history among patients with urinary bladder cancer
