14 DAY TRIAL // Child and teen smoking or exposure to second-hand smoking may trigger the development of bladder cancer symptoms later in life, as it considerably increases one's chances of being afflicted with the particular type of cancer. A recent study funded by Cancer Research UK cautioned that parents who expose their underage offsprings to second hand smoking may up their risks of becoming bladder cancer patients by 40%. Moreover, children and teens who take up smoking between 15 an 19 years of age are1.5 times more likely to develop the same serious condition, while individuals who took up the bad habit before the age of 15 had a 3 fold risk of developing bladder cancer.
Researchers involved in the current study investigated data on about 430,000 individuals worldwide and reached the conclusion that individuals who smoke or are exposed to second-hand smoke at an early age are at high risk of developing bladder cancer along with other types of cancer. The study also showed that exposure to carcinogens - agents which cause cancer - is more prominent during childhood and adolescence, triggering more harmful effects on one's health, as compared to carcinogen exposure later in life.
Scientists wrote in their report published in the International Journal of Cancer: "The indication in our study is that early exposure to tobacco smoke might increase the risk of bladder cancer calls for further research and adds to the body of evidence suggesting that children are more sensitive to carcinogens [cancer-causing agents] than adults."
Overall results of the research showed that the risks of developing bladder cancer are primarily influenced by the age one starts smoking or is exposed to second-hand smoke - the earlier, the more elevated his chances -, by the intensity of smoking or how much smoke one inhales and for how long the individual smokes/ is exposed to cigarette smoke.
Researcher Dr. Naomi Allen from Oxford University who participated in the study, concluded: "Previous research has shown that there's a strong link between smoking and bladder cancer. But this study also suggests that young people who are exposed to second-hand smoke are more at risk of going on to develop the disease in later life. This adds to the growing body of evidence that children and adolescents may be even more vulnerable to the harmful effects of tobacco smoke than adults."