Age, mitochondria and bladder cancer

Bladder cancer (BC) is a major cause of mortality worldwide. Risk factors for BC development are male gender, age and exposure to carcinogens and especially cigarette smoking. Since it is not clearly understood why aging is an important BC risk factor, in this review we try to find common features between BC and aging. Evidence suggest that oxidative stress and mitochondrial dysfunction may link aging to BC, thus opening new perspectives in terms of preventive measures and novel potential therapeutic targets.