Bladder Cancer. Two words that deliver a devastating impact. Every year, over 570,000 people are diagnosed with bladder cancer and 1.7m people find themselves living with the condition. It is the 10th most commonly diagnosed cancer and the 13th cause of death from cancer globally. But, a timely diagnosis offers a significant increase in the chance of long-term survival and quality of life. Blood in the urine is the most important warning sign of bladder cancer to watch out for.
Yet bladder cancer is the forgotten cancer, and it should not be. We need to unite and raise our voices for people affected by bladder cancer. World Bladder Cancer Awareness Month in May 2023 was a chance for us to do exactly that!
Explore the impact of bladder cancer in different countries in an interactive global map by visiting the Bladder Cancer Digital World Tour.
About 2023 theme
This year’s theme was:
‘Feeling unsure? Get checked.’
One of the main barriers in timely diagnosis of bladder cancer are related to the symptoms. Both, symptoms and the way in which people respond to them can vary, especially as some of the symptoms are not immediately seen as linked to bladder cancer. The discovery of blood in the urine, painful urination, and irregular urination can all be mistaken for other conditions, causing bladder cancer to be overlooked.
Our campaign aimed to bring attention to the misrepresentation of symptoms and encourage people to re-evaluate their symptoms, as what they thought they saw may actually be something different.
During Bladder Cancer Awareness Month 2023, our goal was to spark conversations that raise awareness about the disease by highlighting the symptoms of bladder cancer and overcoming any barriers to seeking medical advice.
The key element of our 2023 campaign was the “unsure icon”, reflecting the uncertainty around bladder cancer and its timely diagnosis. You can learn more about it here.
570,000
new cases diagnosed
& approximately
200,000
deaths in 2020
Bladder Cancer is the
10th
most common cancer
globally
60% of cases
&
50% of deaths occur in less developed countries
How can you get involved?
There were a number of different ways that people participated in and supported the bladder cancer awareness month campaign and helped us raise awareness about bladder cancer. We encouraged people to:
- Explore the campaign toolkit to discover the campaign and how they could contribute in their community (available in English and Spanish below)
- Reading and sharing our infographics
- Signing up for our monthly newsletter
- Sharing our symptom awareness video
- Following and sharing our content on social media
In 2023, we managed to reach more people than ever before! We plan on publishing a full report on our activities so watch this space for further news.
Graphics & Infographics
Newsletter
Social media content
Our members activities
Australia
Bladder Cancer Awareness Australia
Visit pageCanada
Bladder Cancer Canada
Visit pageFrance
Cancer Vessie France – Les Zuros
Visit pageItaly
Associazione PaLiNUro
Visit pageNorway
Norwegian Bladder Cancer Society
Visit pageSouth Africa
Campaign 4 Cancer
Visit pageUnited Kingdom
Fight Bladder Cancer
Visit pageUnited Kingdom
Action Bladder Cancer UK
Visit page
Member of
For general information, information about membership or policy information, please contact the WBCPC Secretariat at info@worldbladdercancer.org
Member of
For general information, information about membership or policy information, please contact the WBCPC Secretariat at info@worldbladdercancer.org