Incidence rates of bladder and kidney cancers among US military servicemen: comparison with the rates in the general US population

Objective The military population may differ from the general population in factors related to bladder and kidney cancers. However, incidence rates of these cancers have not been systematically compared between the two populations. This study compared incidence rates of bladder and kidney cancers between active-duty servicemen and men in the general US population. Methods Data were obtained from the Department of Defense’s Automated Central Tumor Registry (ACTUR) and the National Cancer Institute’s Surveillance, Epidemiology and End Results (SEER) database. Included were 18–59-year-old active-duty servicemen in ACTUR and men in SEER who were diagnosed with malignant bladder and kidney cancers from 1990 to 2013. Age-adjusted rates, incidence rate ratios (IRR) and their 95% confidence intervals (95% CI) were compared between the two populations by age, race, and cancer stage. Results Incidence rates were lower in ACTUR than SEER for bladder cancer overall (IRR = 0.55, 95% CI, 0.48–0.62) and by age (except ages 50–59), race, and tumor stage. For ages 50–59, rates did not differ between the populations. Kidney cancer incidence rates were lower in the military for younger groups and Black men, but higher for ages 50–59. Conclusion Lower bladder and kidney cancer incidence in ACTUR, notably in younger men, may be primarily associated with better health and healthcare access. The lack of differences in bladder or kidney cancer incidence among 50–59-year-old men between the populations might result from multifactorial effects, such as the possible effects of cumulative military-related exposures offset by healthier status and better medical care.