Urethral Catheterization and Chronic Irritation; Are Our Patients at Risk of Malignancy

CIUCs are known as a risk factor for bladder cancer especially when used in Spinal Cord Injury (SCI) patients. None the less, there has been an established association to bladder cancer in non-SCI patients having CIUCs compared to the general population [1]. Squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) of the bladder usually occur secondary to bilharzia in the Middle East, Southeast Asia, and South America, where schistosomiasis is endemic and accounts for 59% to 75% of bladder SCC cases. However, in western regions, SCC of the bladder usually constitutes only 1.2% to 4.5% of all bladder cancers, and these are usually secondary to prolonged indwelling catheters, especially in SCI patients.