Acute Cystitis Tied to Higher Risk for Urogenital Cancers

FRIDAY, Sept. 26, 2025 (HealthDay News) — Acute cystitis may signal the presence of urogenital cancers in middle-aged adults, according to a study published online Sept. 16 in BMJ Public Health.

Filip Jansåker, M.D., Ph.D., from Lund University in Sweden, and colleagues examined the subsequent risks for urogenital cancers in men and women aged 50 years and older diagnosed with acute cystitis. The analysis included roughly 1.67 million men and 1.89 million women, including 177,736 men and 427,821 women diagnosed with acute cystitis (first event) from 1997 to 2018. 

The researchers identified 199,144 men and 57,882 women diagnosed with urogenital cancer (24,137 subsequently to cystitis). Prostate and bladder cancer were the most common. Across all age groups of men and women with cystitis, urogenital cancer risks were elevated. While the risks were highest within three months of follow-up, risk persisted over several years for most cancers. Risks for bladder cancer within three months of follow-up corresponded to 483.72 and 96.00 excess cancer rates per 10,000 person-years, respectively (standardized incidence ratio [SIR], 33.69 in men and 30.00 in women). For prostate cancer, the SIR was 7.05, and the excess cancer rate was 550.88 per 10,000 person-years. The SIR for kidney cancer was 11.28 for men and 7.72 for women. For gynecological cancers, SIRs ranged between 4 and 8. 

“It is plausible that urogenital cancer, and perhaps even precancerous changes in the urogenital organ, might increase the risk of cystitis because of compromised urinary tract and host defense,” the authors write.

Abstract/Full Text