A Common Eye Condition May Mask One of the Most Important Early Signs of Cancer

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A common eye condition may be masking an early warning sign of cancer

A recent scientific study has revealed that a common eye condition may be masking one of the most important early indicators of bladder cancer. The study indicated that people with color blindness are more likely to have their bladder cancer detected at later stages compared to others, according to the New York Post.

Researchers explained that difficulty distinguishing certain colors, especially red and green, may prevent people with color blindness from noticing blood in their urine, which is one of the most prominent, and sometimes only, early symptoms of bladder cancer, the tenth leading cause of cancer death in the United States.

Dr. Ehsan Rahimi, Associate Clinical Professor of Ophthalmology at Stanford Medicine and lead author of the study, said that the findings could contribute to raising awareness among both patients and doctors, emphasizing the importance of paying attention to this group of patients when evaluating urinary symptoms.

Color blindness, or color vision deficiency, is a condition that affects approximately one in 12 men and one in 200 women worldwide. It is often caused by genetic mutations affecting the light-sensitive cells in the retina.

Researchers compared the medical records of 270 bladder cancer patients, half of whom were color blind. They found that those with color vision deficiency were more likely to be diagnosed at a later, more aggressive stage. The results also showed that the risk of death within 20 years of diagnosis was 52% higher in this group.

Experts noted that the impact is even greater in men, as they are more likely to be color blind and are also four times more likely to develop bladder cancer than women. Doctors emphasized that delayed diagnosis directly affects the chances of survival.

According to data from the American Cancer Society, the five-year survival rate is 73% when bladder cancer is detected before it spreads beyond the bladder, but it drops to only 9% when it reaches distant organs such as the lungs, liver, or bones.