Bladder cancer in Senegal: what’s new?

Abstract

Background: The histological type determines the outcome of bladder cancers. Our study investigates the epidemiology of bladder cancer histology at our centre and compares it with previous studies carried out in Senegal.

Methods: This descriptive and analytical study was conducted among 190 patients observed for bladder cancer at General Hospital Idrissa Pouye over a period of eight years. The parameters studied were age, gender, histological type, tumour stage, smoking exposure, presence of bilharzia eggs, clinical and paraclinical signs, locoregional and distant extension, treatment and recurrence.

Results: The mean age of the participants was 62.37 ± 13.96 years. The gender ratio (M/F) was 1.63. Urothelial carcinoma was the most common histological type (79.5% of cases). Squamous cell carcinoma was found in 11.1% of the participants and was more frequent among patients under 40 years of age and among women. The tumour infiltrated the muscle in 78.42% of cases. Active smoking was observed in 45.2% of the participants and the presence of bilharzia eggs was found in 14.2% of cases. Haematuria was the most presenting finding of bladder cancer (91.58% of cases). Six patients had undergone endovesical chemotherapy. Twenty-one patients with non-muscle-invasive bladder tumours (NMIBT) had recurred. Cystectomy had been performed in 35 patients.

Conclusion: Urothelial carcinoma has become the most common type of bladder cancer, followed by squamous cell carcinoma. It is necessary to design a care pathway for endovesical chemotherapy and appropriate monitoring.