Why is bladder cancer more common among old people?

Yes: Bladder cancer is an environmental cancer. Toxins, most commonly cigarette smoking, build up in the bladder causing genetic changes that lead to cancer. The more exposure someone has to these toxins, the more likely the risk of cancer. Young people can get bladder cancer, too. Blood in the urine is the most common sign and must be evaluated by your physician.

Time of exposure: Most bladder cancers in the usa are likely a result of long term exposure of the urothelial lining of the urinary tract to water soluble toxins (eg, from smoking). The barrage of carcinogenic chemicals over time can result in tumorigenesis and thus with age the risk of such cancers increases in typical dose-response fashion.