WBCPC joins BCLEAR partners in Budapest to advance bladder cancer literacy across Europe

Together with partners from across Europe, we gathered on September 4, 2026,  in Budapest for the annual consortium meeting of BCLEAR: Bladder Cancer Literacy for All: Advancing Knowledge and Care in Europe. A full day of discussion gave the consortium the chance to review our progress and agree the next steps for our shared work.

Co-funded by the European Union and coordinated by the European Association of Urology (EAU), this three-year initiative brings together the patient community, urologists, family doctors, academia and public health experts, with a shared mission to improve bladder cancer literacy and reduce inequalities in access to information and care across the region.

Much of the day focused on the awareness and education work at the heart of the project. We shared progress on the citizen education toolbox now taking shape, which will bring clear, reliable information to patients, carers and the public across three areas: prevention and timely diagnosis, non-muscle-invasive bladder cancer (NMIBC) and muscle-invasive bladder cancer (MIBC). Its core message is a simple one: blood in the urine should always be checked. We also looked at the awareness activities being delivered in the project’s three pilot countries, Poland, Hungary and Greece, building on the momentum of Bladder Cancer Awareness Month (BCAM) each May.

Bladder cancer is the fifth most common cancer in Europe, yet it remains widely under-recognised despite its profound impact on patients and their families. Around 60% of cases occur in the EU’s lower-income countries, primarily affecting high-risk populations. Limited public awareness, combined with difficulty recognising early symptoms, often leads to late diagnosis, and to unequal outcomes across countries. Behind every one of those figures is a person who deserved to know the warning signs sooner.

We are grateful to all the partners who joined us in Budapest for their input throughout the day and for the great work they have put into this project so far. We look forward to continuing this work together, so that no person faces bladder cancer without the knowledge, resources and support they need.

BCLEAR is coordinated by the European Association of Urology (EAU) and brings together a strong and diverse group of partners: the World Bladder Cancer Patient Coalition (WBCPC), Association of European Cancer Leagues (ECL), WONCA Europe, Hellenic Urological Association (HUA), Hungarian Urological Society (HUS), Polish Urological Association (PTU), and the Erasmus University Medical Center (EMC).

Disclaimer: Co-funded by the European Union. Views and opinions expressed are, however, those of the author(s) only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union or HaDEA. Neither the European Union nor the granting authority can be held responsible for them.