The World Bladder Cancer Patient Coalition took part in the 15th AORTIC International Conference on Cancer in Africa, held on November 2-5, 2025 in Hammamet, Tunisia. Organised by the African Organisation for Research and Training in Cancer (AORTIC), the event brought together clinicians, researchers, policymakers, and patient advocates from across the continent and beyond.
This year’s theme, “Advancing Cancer Care Across Africa: Equity Through Empowering Research &
The World Bladder Cancer Patient Coalition (WBCPC) attended the 45th Annual Congress of the Société Internationale d’Urologie (SIU 2025) in Edinburgh, Scotland, a leading global event that brings together urologists, nurses, researchers, and patient advocates from around the world. This marks the fifth consecutive year that WBCPC has joined the SIU Congress, strengthening our role in international collaboration to improve bladder cancer care.
At our exhibition booth, we shared a wide range of patient-focused materials to help support informed care and patient involvement.
WBCPC was invited to speak at the Russian Cancer Patient Congress, organised by the Zdravstvuy Association of Cancer Patients, on October 23, 2025. The congress brought together patient advocates, clinicians and civil society representatives from across the region to discuss shared challenges in cancer care and highlight opportunities for stronger patient involvement in improving healthcare delivery and outcomes.
During the session, WBCPC Executive Director Alex Filicevas introduced its growing international network and outlined how global collaboration strengthens the voice of people affected by bladder cancer.
On October 17, the World Bladder Cancer Patient Coalition joined the Global Cancer Coalitions Network (GCCN) and Ipsen for a Shared Decision-Making Roundtable held ahead of the ESMO 2025 Congress in Berlin. The meeting brought together cancer coalitions, patient organisations and clinical experts to examine how shared decision-making can be better embedded in routine oncology care.
Shared decision-making is an important part of patient-centred cancer care. It ensures that patients receive clear information about their treatment options and can take part in choosing the approach that best reflects their needs and preferences.
The World Bladder Cancer Patient Forum 2025 concluded its Public Day in Brussels with closing remarks from Ondřej Dostál, Member of the European Parliament (Czechia), who delivered an insightful keynote on the role of awareness, prevention, and policy collaboration in improving outcomes for people affected by bladder cancer.
A lawyer and policymaker, Ondřej Dostál highlighted the importance of addressing the environmental and social factors that contribute to cancer incidence, stressing that prevention and early diagnosis must remain at the heart of European health policy.
At the World Bladder Cancer Patient Forum 2025, the session “Meaningful patient engagement in action” brought together a diverse panel to explore how patient voices can shape care, research, and decision-making, not as a symbolic gesture, but as a shared responsibility across all stakeholders.
Moderated by Alex Filicevas, Executive Director of the World Bladder Cancer Patient Coalition, the discussion featured Christine La Rose, bladder cancer survivor and Patient Support and Advisory Leader at BEAT Bladder Cancer Australia;
On Public Day in Brussels, the World Bladder Cancer Patient Forum 2025 hosted “Making sense of medicine access,” a practical, multi-stakeholder conversation on how promising science becomes real treatment for real people. Moderated by Lauren Pretorius (Campaigning for Cancer), the session brought together Mihai Rotaru (EFPIA) and Robert Sauermann (Austrian Federation of Social Insurances) to unpack where and why access stalls, and how to fix it.
Lauren opened the session by reminding participants that innovation only matters when it reaches patients.
Patient voice in Health Technology Assessments
The World Bladder Cancer Patient Forum 2025 in Brussels continued on Public Day with an insightful session titled “Patient voice in Health Technology Assessments (HTA).” The discussion focused on how meaningful patient involvement can improve the way new medicines, diagnostics, and technologies are evaluated—ensuring that innovation leads to real benefits for people affected by bladder cancer.
Moderated by Dr Anke-Peggy Holtorf, Board Member of HTAi (Health Technology Assessment International),
The World Bladder Cancer Patient Forum 2025 continued on Public Day in Brussels with a session exploring the latest developments in bladder cancer research, featuring insights from two leading experts, Dr Ashish M. Kamat, Chair of the WBCPC Scientific Advisory Board and Professor of Urologic Oncology at the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, and Prof. Hendrik Van Poppel, Policy Office Chair at the European Association of Urology.
The World Bladder Cancer Patient Forum 2025 continued on Public Day in Brussels with an insightful multi-stakeholder session titled Driving policy progress in bladder cancer through collaboration. Moderated by Sarah Coffey Degrange from Cancer Vessie France, the discussion brought together experts from across research, policy, and industry to explore how joint action can accelerate change for people affected by bladder cancer.
Prof. Hendrik Van Poppel,
For general information, information about membership or policy information, please contact the WBCPC Secretariat at info@worldbladdercancer.org
For general information, information about membership or policy information, please contact the WBCPC Secretariat at info@worldbladdercancer.org
