The incidence of a subsequent primary cancer was investigated among 10
014 patients with cancer of the urinary bladder diagnosed in 1953-198
9 in Finland. During the follow-up period of 1953-1989, 652 new metach
ronous cancers were diagnosed. The number equals the expected number b
ased on the national incidence figures. There were 195 second cancers
of the lung. The standardised incidence ratio (SIR) for lung cancer wa
s 1.3 among males [95% confidence interval (CI) 1.1-1.4] and 2.6 among
females (95% CI 1.4-4.5). An increased SIR for larynx cancer in males
(SIR=1.7, 95% CI 0.91-2.8) and for kidney cancer in females (SIR=3.6,
95% CI 1.8-6.2) was observed. The risk of a second cancer was greater
among patients less than 60 years of age at the time of first diagnos
is than among older patients. No consistent differences were observed
in the risk of new cancer between bladder cancer patients treated with
or without radiotherapy.