Individuals who develop urethral cancer are more likely than others to have certain risk factors for the disease. A risk factor is something that increases the chance of developing a disease.
There are several factors that can increase the risk of developing urethral cancer.
Urethral Cancer Risk Factors
Risk factors for urethral cancer include:
- Age. Urethral cancer occurs more frequently in people over the age of 50.
- History of bladder cancer. Urethral cancer is more common in individuals with a previous diagnosis of bladder cancer.
- Female
- Caucasian
- History of any condition that causes chronic inflammation in the urethra including frequent urinary tract infections and STDs.
This does not mean that if you have one or more of these factors you will develop urethral cancer, but you should speak with a Penn Medicine physician about your risk.