Stop smoking
Whatever stage you are at with bladder cancer including worrying about pre-diagnosis symptoms, please think about your smoking habits. Smoking is the biggest risk factor for bladder cancer. It also increases the risk of a cancer returning and is connected to the risks of developing heart and lung disease.
We know that if you are a smoker, giving up can be very difficult. There are lots of sources of help to support you through the transition to becoming a non-smoker.
With a bladder cancer diagnosis it is very important that you stop smoking.
Support to give up smoking
Talk to your nurses (CNS) or your GP and ask for support and advice. They may refer you to the NHS online stop smoking services, Quit Smoking, which offers help and advice.
The NHS has a dedicated online stop smoking service which offers help and advice for:
England: nhs.uk/live-well/quit-smoking/ or call 0300 123 1044
Wales: www.helpmequit.wales or call 0800 085 2219
Scotland: nhsinform.scot/healthy-living/stopping-smoking or call 0800 0852 219
Northern Ireland: stopsmokingni.info
The personal quit plan is specifically targeted to give you the combination of ideas that is most likely to be successful for you. It tells you about all the different methods you can use to help you stop; the support on offer; your local stop smoking services; Facebook, Twitter and YouTube support; FAQs; and stop smoking aids, including patches.
If you are not a smoker, or when you have given up, do try and keep away from smokers and smoky atmospheres.
Talk with other people
If you have family and friends who have successfully stopped smoking, ask them for tips. It may also be useful to talk to other people who gave up smoking while receiving treatment for bladder cancer.
You can connect with other people affected by bladder cancer on our private online forum on Facebook which is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year. Find out how to join and other ways you can talk to patients and carers via our getting support page.
More information
You can download a copy of our relevant Patient Information Booklet below and find an article from our Fight magazine which features more information about smoking and other major causes of bladder cancer. If you would like a free copy of the Patient Information Booklet sent to you, add your details to our booklets order form and we’ll get them to you.
Get in touch
We’ve tried to make the information on this site as accurate as possible. Whilst we have support from medical professionals to review the general medical content of this site, please remember that only your medical team can give you specific advice about your symptoms or illness. Fight Bladder Cancer is a registered Charitable Incorporated Organisation in Scotland (SC051881), England and Wales (1198773), and was initially established as an unincorporated charity in England and Wales (1157763). It also operates in Northern Ireland.