Florida bladder cancer trends 1981-2004:Minimal progress in the reduction of advanced disease Free

A25

Introduction: While bladder cancer (BC) is the 4^th most common cancer in males in the U.S. there are no accepted screening recommendations for this disease despite the fact that the greatest risk factors for BC are identifiable and modifiable (i.e., tobacco exposure). Survival from BC is highly correlated with stage of disease. We sought to ascertain if there have been any changes in the stage at presentation of BC in Florida over the last 25 years.
 >Methods: The Florida Cancer Data Registry was evaluated for all BC cases between 1981 and 2004. Cases were coded and analyzed as local, in-situ or advanced (regional and distant) disease. Cases were stratified by demographic groups.
 >Results: The overall incidence of BC declined slightly over the last 25 years from 24.3 to 20.5 cases per 100,000. Overall, non-Hispanic White males have a nearly three-fold incidence of BC compared to Black males, while Hispanic males have approximately a two-fold higher incidence compared to Black males. Non-Hispanic White females have nearly a two-fold increased incidence compared to both Black and Hispanic females. Advanced stage BC decreased minimally over 25 years; white and black females had the smallest decline in annual percentage changes of advanced BC.Conclusions: Despite knowledge of the main risk factors for BC, there have been only small decreases in the percentage of patients presenting with advanced cases in Florida over the last 25 years. BC may thus be an appropriate cancer for increased public awareness campaigns and potentially targeted screening of high-risk populations.