WBCPC Opinion Pieces 2026: three perspectives on bladder cancer care

Behind every bladder cancer diagnosis is a person with questions about their care, their body and their life after treatment. In 2026, we asked patients, advocates and clinicians from around the world to explore some of those questions together.

The result is three opinion pieces, brought together as the WBCPC Opinion Pieces 2026. Each one is a short booklet that you can download, read and share with your community, your care team or anyone affected by bladder cancer.

The cost of being unseen

Bladder cancer is still often seen as a man’s disease, yet one in four people with bladder cancer are women. In The cost of being unseen: An opinion piece on what bladder cancer reveals about gender bias in care, patient advocates Fatima Baig (India) and Helen Lacy (Australia) and Prof Ananya Choudhury (United Kingdom), a member of our Scientific Advisory Board, look at how stigma, low awareness and services built around men can delay diagnosis for women.

The piece draws on our Women Unseen report, in which 69% of women said they were first diagnosed with another condition before their cancer was identified. For many women, that meant a longer road to the right diagnosis and the right care.

The authors call for awareness campaigns that speak directly to women, gender-sensitive care pathways, specialist nurses and psychosocial support. The piece was first published on our website for International Women’s Day and you can also read it online.

The first chance is the best chance

The first chance is the best chance: An opinion piece on bladder cancer, surgical quality and life after treatment grew out of the Public Day of the World Bladder Cancer Patient Forum 2026 in Hong Kong in September 2026. It is written by Prof Jeremy Teoh (Hong Kong, China) and Dr Makarand Khochikar (India), both members of our Scientific Advisory Board, with Alex Filicevas, Chief Executive Officer of the World Bladder Cancer Patient Coalition.

The piece explains why the first assessment and the first operation, known as Transurethral Resection of Bladder Tumour (TURBT), matter so much for what comes next. It also looks at the rising cost of care, access to new treatments and what people need to live well after treatment.

The authors call for a high-quality first assessment and first operation for everyone with suspected bladder cancer, a plan for access and affordability with every new treatment, and quality of life to be treated as an outcome of care.

What nobody tells you

Continence, meaning control of the bladder and bowel, is one of the least discussed parts of bladder cancer care. In What nobody tells you: An opinion piece on bladder cancer, continence and the care that is missing, Prof Bente Thoft Jensen (Denmark), Prof Shingai Mutambirwa (South Africa) and Alessandro Boni of PaLiNUro (Italy), a WBCPC Board Member, explain how treatment can change daily life and why people need to know this before they decide.

Roughly three in four people are diagnosed with non-muscle-invasive bladder cancer (NMIBC), and many live with urgency and frequency after treatment. People who have their bladder removed face further changes, which take time and support to learn to manage.

The authors call for continence to be part of every stage of care, for continence to be a core part of preparation before major surgery, and for honest, clear information early enough to shape decisions. The piece was first published on our website for World Continence Week 2026 and you can also read it online.

Thank you to our authors

We are grateful to all nine authors for sharing their experience and expertise so openly. Together, their voices show what good care looks like for people living with bladder cancer.

Download the WBCPC Opinion Pieces 2026 using the links above and share them with anyone who may find them useful. If your organisation would like to work with us on patient information, please get in touch with the Coalition.