1) The acetylation status inferred by a single tag SNP captures almost all genetic variations in the exon 2 region of the NAT2 gene in Chinese people; 2) Both the single tag SNP and multiple candidate SNPs reflect variation in CMR, a measure of hepatic N-acetylation capacity; 3) The SNP-inferred slow acetylation status is significantly associated with a reduced risk of bladder cancer whereas the CMR-determined slow acetylation status is significantly associated with increased risk of bladder cancer as reported previously in this study population [20] as well as in Western populations [19]. This evidence concerns the gene NAT2 and urinary bladder carcinoma.