Schistosomiasis is associated with cancer in which organ?

• A. Bladder cancer
• B. Liver cancer
• C. Brain cancer
• D. Skin cancer

Answer: (A)

Schistosomiasis shows a clear organ-specific cancer risk driven by where the parasite’s eggs lodge and cause ongoing inflammation. Chronic infection with Schistosoma haematobium targets the urinary tract, especially the bladder. The persistent irritation from eggs in the bladder wall leads to granulomatous inflammation, fibrosis, and metaplastic changes in the urothelium that can progressively transform into cancer, most often a squamous cell carcinoma of the bladder. That chronic inflammatory environment is the key link to cancer in this context.

In contrast, Schistosoma mansoni and Schistosoma japonicum primarily affect the liver and intestines, causing periportal fibrosis and related complications, and they do not have the same classic association with bladder cancer. Brain and skin cancers are not recognized cancer associations of schistosomiasis.