Research from Augusta and Palo Alto, California
has shown 88.5 percent of patients at the Veterans Hospitals with transitional cell bladder cancer had or have a
history of smoking marijuana. Dr. Terris, senior author on the study in the January issue of Urology looked at
52 male patients aged 44-60 years. Older patients 60 years and older have a common risk factor of smoking
cigarettes.
It was noticed by Dr. Terris that 31 percent of cancer patients still smoked marijuana, compared to 20 percent in the age-matched control group. These findings have prompted physicians at the VA hospitals along with Standford University Medical Center to look at other carcinogens, in their patients. Tobacco, radiation, Agent Orange, smoked or processed meats and synthetic dyes from textiles were found in all men in the study. Controls in the study were patients seeking urology care only not bladder cancer.
