An Unexpected Factor Increasing the Risk of Death from Cancer Identified 0 8

Color recognition problems may increase the risk of death from bladder cancer. This conclusion was reached by scientists who analyzed medical data from patients with color blindness. The results of the study were published in the journal Nature Health (NH).

Researchers examined data from the TriNetX database and compared patients with color blindness to those without it. The analysis included 135 individuals with bladder cancer and color vision impairment, along with a control group matched for age, sex, and comorbidities. It turned out that the overall survival rate for patients with color blindness was lower, and the risk of death over 20 years was 52 percent higher than for patients with normal color vision.

The scientists attribute this effect not to the biological characteristics of the tumor, but to late diagnosis. Bladder cancer often begins with painless blood in the urine — sometimes this is the only early symptom. Individuals with red color perception impairment may not notice this change or may mistake it for harmless darkening, leading to delayed medical consultation.

No such connection was found with colorectal cancer. The authors explain this by the fact that the disease is more often detected through screening or other symptoms — abdominal pain, changes in stool, or weight loss, which are not dependent on color vision.

Researchers emphasize that their work is hypothesis-generating but urge doctors to consider the characteristics of color perception in patients.