Women Unseen report: tackling gender gap in bladder cancer care

The World Bladder Cancer Patient Coalition has launched the latest collaborative report Women Unseen: Tackling the Gender Care Gap in Bladder Cancer. The report examines the disparities women face across the bladder cancer pathway and outlines key actions to improve early diagnosis, clinical practice and overall care for women affected by bladder cancer.

The report brings together current evidence showing how women often experience delays in diagnosis, limited awareness of symptoms, and persistent challenges in accessing timely and appropriate care.

Call to action to address the gender gap in bladder cancer care

The Women Unseen Call to Action report offers recommendations across four key areas:

1. Early detection and diagnosis of bladder cancer in Women
2. Improving healthcare professional education
3. Delivering gender-specific bladder cancer care
4. Bladder cancer within broader Women’s health

These proposed actions offer practical direction for health systems and policymakers to reduce inequalities and support more consistent care for women.

The continued variation in women’s experiences highlights why focused action in this area is required. Many report that their symptoms were not recognised or taken seriously, which contributes to delayed diagnosis and poorer outcomes. The report highlights the findings from the Global Bladder Cancer Patient & Carer Survey that 69% of women were initially diagnosed with another condition before a correct bladder cancer diagnosis. This reflects the need for clearer clinical guidance and stronger understanding of bladder cancer symptoms in women.

International collaboration to develop the recommendations

Women Unseen – Tackling the Gender Gap in Bladder Cancer report was developed with a multi-country and multi-expertise Steering Committee, which identified challenges and priorities as well as common direction for bladder cancer community on how best to drive change for women with bladder cancer. The Steering Committee included  World Bladder Cancer Patient Coalition (WBCPC) and the European Association of Urology (EAU) as well as bladder cancer patient advocacy organisations Cancer Vessie France, Bladder Cancer Awareness Australia and Bladder Cancer India. Their insights helped shape the recommendations and ensured that both clinical practice and lived experience were represented.

The Women Unseen report provides a foundation for policymakers, clinicians and patient organisations seeking to address the gender gap in bladder cancer care and improve outcomes for women.

We encourage all stakeholders to review the report and take forward the actions needed to close the gender gap in bladder cancer care.