To evaluate the relationship between patient age and the characteristics of superficial transitional cell carcinoma.

The clinical and pathologic records of 576 patients were retrospectively reviewed. The patients were classified into three groups: those 40 years or younger, those 41 to 59 years old, and those 60 years or older. The transitional cell carcinoma characteristics of three groups were analyzed to define the relationship, if any, with age.

The male/female ratio was 4.1:1, 3.6:1, and 2.3:1 in the three age groups, with significant differences between the 60 years or older group and the 40 years or younger group and 41 to 59 year group (P <0.05). The percentage of patients with poorly differentiated tumor increased with increasing age, and a significant difference was found between the 60 years or older group and the 40 years or younger and 41 to 59 year groups (P <0.05). The overall recurrence rate was 34.2% at 12 months and 40.8% at 24 months. The nonrecurrence rate was significantly greater in those 40 years or younger compared with those 60 years or older in all three risk groups (P <0.05).

The results of our study have shown that the percentage of female patients with bladder cancer increases with increasing age and that elderly patients are more likely to present with poorly differentiated bladder cancer. Also, the recurrence-free survival rate decreased with increasing age.