Schistosomasis and Bladder Cancer

Schistosomiasis also known as Bilharziasis, is a parasitic disease that dates back to antiquity. The ancient Egyptians, through settling and cultivating the Nile valley, were among the first to contract the disease. Thus, the main symptom hematuria was mentioned in Egyptian papyri (1500-1800 B.C.), and schistosome eggs were identified in Egyptian mummies through paleopathologic studies. In 1852, Theodor Bilharz, a German pathologist working in Cairo, discovered the worms in the portal circulation and was the first to describe the Pathology of the disease. Ferguson in 1911 was the first to report on the high frequency of bladder cancer in Egypt and to suggest an etiologic relation with urinary Schistosomiasis, a fact which is now generally accepted (Bolkainy & Chu 1981a). The aim of this article is to review the pathobiology of Schistosoma associated bladder cancer (SACB), describe the relationship between Schistiosomiasis and bladder cancer with respect to the mechanisms of carcinogenesis with emphasis on special features of SABC and recent methods of early detection.