Acute cystitis, commonly mistaken for a common urinary tract infection, may be an early warning sign of urological cancers, according to a study by researchers at Lund University in Sweden, who analyzed medical records from more than three and a half million people aged 50 and over.
Between 1997 and 2018, hundreds of thousands of cases of cystitis were recorded in Sweden. Some patients were later diagnosed with bladder and kidney cancer, and in men, prostate, testicular and penile cancer. The highest risk occurred in the first three months after infection. It was during this period that the likelihood of bladder cancer increased almost 34-fold in men and 30-fold in women. Although the risks decreased over time, they remained elevated for several years, with the likelihood of diagnosis remaining 3–3.5 times higher than average.
A similar pattern was observed with other cancers. Men who had cystitis had a significantly higher chance of developing kidney or prostate cancer, while women had a higher chance of developing kidney cancer and some gynecological cancers. The researchers emphasize that these figures do not mean that every episode of cystitis will necessarily result in cancer. Rather, they suggest that the infection may be the first manifestation of a hidden disease or a concomitant factor that facilitates its detection.
Scientists explain: tumors or even precancerous changes can weaken the defenses of the urinary tract and provoke infections. In addition, the symptoms of some types of cancer can be similar to those of cystitis, which is misleading for both patients and doctors.
For doctors, this study is a signal: even a seemingly normal diagnosis can hide serious risks. It is especially worth being attentive to middle-aged and elderly patients. The authors emphasize: acute cystitis should be considered not only as an independent problem, but also as a possible clinical marker of urogenital cancers.
