ABSTRACT
The association of aetiological agents incriminated for bladder cancer are well recognized. They are divided into two groups, occupational and non-occupational. The commonest occupational agents are 2-naphlthylamine, benzidine, aminobiphenyl, dichlorobenzidine, orthodianisidine and orthotolidine. Recognized non-occupational agents include tobacco, recurrent chronic bladder infection/infestation, coffee and drugs. This study was conduced to evaluate these factors in patients with bladder cancer in our population. Of 250 cases studied, 203 were males and 47 females with a male to female ratio of 4.3:1. In 13.6% cases occupational factors were established with an average duration of exposure of 12 years. Majority [68%] of patients had smoking as the predominant non-occupational factor. In this group average cigarettes smoked per day was 23 with a range of 15 to 90. The duration of smoking ranged between 5 to 55 years with an average of 26 years. Sixty patients [24%] were neither smokers nor had any associated high risk occupation