So here I am 2 months after getting diagnosed with bladder cancer and as you can imagine all sorts of questions come to mind. One of them is "how did I get it"? And of course that will never be answered. I do not fit the usual profile for bladder cancer: I don't smoke and never have. I'm also not a hairdresser nor someone who works with dye. But in my searches for causes and treatments for bladder cancer, I came across the possible link to the byproducts of chlorination. For example, see: aje.oxfordjournals.org/.../aje.kwj364. I know this has come in these forums (sample here: According to new study Chlorinated pools may lead to cancer - U.S. Masters Swimming Discussion Forums), but what I haven't seen are reports of any other swimmers having bladder cancer.
Do you know of other swimmers getting bladder cancer?
I know this will never prove a link, and certainly by probability there are some of you out there, but I'm curious to know if there are lots of us or just a few. I've been swimming competitively since I was 7 and I'm now in my early 50's. That's a lot of time in the pool. I've mostly been in outdoor pools, but my college years included indoor swimming. Never, in all that time, have I ever heard any other swimmer mention bladder cancer. Am I alone?
The good news is that this was caught early and my prognosis is excellent. There is a small chance of progression which I rather not have (who would?!), but I'm lucky to have had it caught and treated early. I'll be competing for a long time to come. 400 IM today, in fact.
Unfortunately, cancer is caused often by the things you least expect. There is a high incidence of *** cancer in men at camp Lejeune, NC due to water contaminated at extremely low levels.
The amount of plastic in our lives is a definite contributor to cancer in some cases. This is not meant to detract from the possibility that chlorinated pools may contribute, but the time we spend in pools and the time spent eating or drinking foods stored, served, or prepared in plastic containers or handling, interacting with and breathing off-gassing plastic is almost negligible.
Every plastic item has a basis in the oil fields and wants to return there. Some decay more slowly than others. Ever notice a fog inside your car windshield that is not humidity or temperature related? Really difficult to remove?That is gas (oil) from the dashboard and other parts of the interior of your car. You are breathing that all the time you drive.
Unfortunately, cancer is caused often by the things you least expect. There is a high incidence of *** cancer in men at camp Lejeune, NC due to water contaminated at extremely low levels.
The amount of plastic in our lives is a definite contributor to cancer in some cases. This is not meant to detract from the possibility that chlorinated pools may contribute, but the time we spend in pools and the time spent eating or drinking foods stored, served, or prepared in plastic containers or handling, interacting with and breathing off-gassing plastic is almost negligible.
Every plastic item has a basis in the oil fields and wants to return there. Some decay more slowly than others. Ever notice a fog inside your car windshield that is not humidity or temperature related? Really difficult to remove?That is gas (oil) from the dashboard and other parts of the interior of your car. You are breathing that all the time you drive.
