World Bladder Cancer Patient Forum
Together in Hong Kong for global bladder cancer advocacy
The World Bladder Cancer Patient Forum 2026 will take place on September 21–22, 2026, in Hong Kong.
Now in its sixth edition, the Forum is the annual global meeting point for patient advocates, experts and partners working to improve bladder cancer care. Over two days, participants exchange knowledge, strengthen partnerships and develop practical ideas that can be implemented at national and local level. Supporting someone living with bladder cancer requires more than treatment alone.
Patient advocates play a vital role throughout the patient journey. Every day, they work to:
- Empower people with clear and trusted information
- Provide peer and emotional support
- Strengthen communication between patients and healthcare professionals
- Help individuals navigate complex healthcare systems
- Promote care that reflects patient needs and priorities
- Drive progress in policy, access to treatment and research
When advocacy is recognised and reinforced, people affected by bladder cancer are more likely to receive coordinated, informed and patient-centred support.
The Forum creates the environment where this collaboration becomes possible. It brings the global advocacy community together to connect, learn from one another and translate shared knowledge into meaningful action. We are continually inspired by the advocacy and awareness work led by our member organisations worldwide. The 2026 Forum in Hong Kong will be a moment to celebrate this commitment, deepen collaboration and support even greater impact together.
More information about the programme and registration will be shared in the coming months.
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Looking back at 2025:
On October 13–14, 2025, the World Bladder Cancer Patient Forum took place in Brussels, Belgium, under the patronage of the European Parliament. Patients, carers, advocates, healthcare professionals, researchers and policymakers gathered from across the world to strengthen patient voices and advance collaboration in bladder cancer care.
The Forum’s first day focused on our member organisations, creating space to connect, align priorities and shape collective advocacy goals. The second day opened discussions to a wider audience, exploring patient experience, research developments, policy engagement and access to treatment.
Watch the 2025 highlight video
Relive the key moments, conversations and connections that defined the Brussels Forum:
Watch all Forum sessions on YouTube
Recordings of every session are available on our YouTube Channel, allowing you to revisit the discussions and insights shared across both days.
Read the 2025 Summary Report
The World Bladder Cancer Patient Forum 2025 Summary Report captures the main discussions, recommendations and shared priorities identified during the meeting, including patient empowerment, early diagnosis, equitable access to treatment and stronger policy engagement.
Thank you to everyone who joined us in Brussels and online. The ideas and partnerships formed during the Forum continue to shape advocacy efforts worldwide as we look ahead to Hong Kong in 2026.
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Event Resources
2025 Event Report
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As we develop additional videos or resources relating to the World Bladder Cancer Patient Forum, we will be adding them to this section2024 Event Report
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As we develop additional videos or resources relating to the World Bladder Cancer Patient Forum, we will be adding them to this section2023 Event Report
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As we develop additional videos or resources relating to the World Bladder Cancer Patient Forum, we will be adding them to this section2023 Event Recording
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As we develop additional videos or resources relating to the World Bladder Cancer Patient Forum, we will be adding them to this section2022 Event Report
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As we develop additional videos or resources relating to the World Bladder Cancer Patient Forum, we will be adding them to this section2022 Event Recording
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As we develop additional videos or resources relating to the World Bladder Cancer Patient Forum, we will be adding them to this section2021 Event Report
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As we develop additional videos or resources relating to the World Bladder Cancer Patient Forum, we will be adding them to this section2021 Event Recap
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As we develop additional videos or resources relating to the World Bladder Cancer Patient Forum, we will be adding them to this sectionAdvice from Bladder Cancer Forum 2021
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As we develop additional videos or resources relating to the World Bladder Cancer Patient Forum, we will be adding them to this section2021 Event Recording
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As we develop additional videos or resources relating to the World Bladder Cancer Patient Forum, we will be adding them to this section2020 Event Recording
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As we develop additional videos or resources relating to the World Bladder Cancer Patient Forum, we will be adding them to this section2020 Event Report
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As we develop additional videos or resources relating to the World Bladder Cancer Patient Forum, we will be adding them to this section2022 Event Recording
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As we develop additional videos or resources relating to the World Bladder Cancer Patient Forum, we will be adding them to this sectionOur past events
Each year we aim to build on the success of our previous events, learn from previous conversations and ensure that the quality of life of the people affected by bladder cancer improves.
If you are interested in exploring our past events and to better understand what drives us, then click below!
The 5th annual World Bladder Cancer Patient Forum took place in 2025 in Brussels, Belgium, under the patronage of the European Parliament. The meeting brought together patients, advocates, healthcare professionals, researchers, policymakers and partners from across the world for two days of focused discussion and collaboration.
In 2025, the Forum placed particular emphasis on strengthening the role of patient advocacy in shaping policy, improving access to care and advancing earlier diagnosis. With its setting in the heart of Europe, the programme highlighted the importance of coordinated action at national and regional level, while reinforcing the value of global cooperation. The discussions in Brussels reflected a growing momentum to ensure that patient voices are not only heard, but actively integrated into decision-making processes that affect bladder cancer care worldwide.
The 4th annual World Bladder Cancer Patient Forum took place in 2024 in Punta Cana, Dominican Republic, marking an important milestone as it expanded to a two-day programme for the first time. This extended format provided a deeper space for discussion, reflection, and collaboration, bringing together patients, advocates, healthcare professionals, experts, and industry representatives from around the world.
In 2024, we placed a special focus on understanding patients’ needs for information and support, highlighting innovative ways to make resources more accessible across languages and regions. For the first time, we gathered in Latin America, with regional insights adding valuable perspectives to our shared global efforts.
The 3rd annual World Bladder Cancer Patient Forum was held in 2023 in Madrid, Spain. Once again, it served as a platform of knowledge and partnership for the global bladder cancer patient community. The Forum brought together people affected by and working with bladder cancer – patients, patient representatives, healthcare professionals, experts, and industry representatives, fostering knowledge sharing and inspiring conversations on addressing some of the most pressing challenges in our patient community worldwide.
In 2023, we especially focused on understanding bladder cancer patients’ supportive and complementary care needs. The Forum featured engaging presentations and facilitated insightful discussions with speakers from different corners of the world.
The second World Bladder Cancer Patient Forum brought together our community in Paris and virtually. This year’s Forum was a milestone event for our international community and because we shared the insights from our first Bladder Cancer Patient and Caregiver Survey.
This year’s theme, ‘Taking bladder cancer patients’ voice forward’, is a stepping stone for action, drawing from the results of the Bladder Cancer Patient and Caregiver Survey.
The multi-stakeholder panel moderated by Dr Lydia Makaroff featured conversations with patient advocates, medical society, healthcare professional and industry perspectives regarding more concrete ways on taking patient’s voice forward.
We welcomed our member organisations from across the world this year. Their three different projects from Australia, Canada and Italy showcased the diversity of incredible efforts of patient organisations to support people affected by bladder cancer and drive much-needed change locally.
The first World Bladder Cancer Patient Forum took place virtually on September 22, bringing together over 150 registered attendees from 35 countries.
The Forum brought together leading voices from around the world. The panel discussed the role of patient voice from research design to treatment and care. The multi-stakeholder panel also explored the challenges of including patients’ voices in research design, bladder cancer care, and in driving policy change in areas concerning people affected by bladder cancer.
Our coalition member organisations have also showcased some of the activities they are leading. Many of which are having a positive impact on bladder cancer patients in their countries and communities.
At the WBCPC 2020 Virtual Annual Meeting, held in September we have brought together leaders in bladder cancer research, advocacy, patient organisations and the pharmaceutical industry. Participants from 25 countries worldwide have joined us to explore the topic: What action is needed to place bladder cancer higher on the global health policy agenda?
Strong bladder cancer patient groups across the world can bring bladder cancer higher on national and global health policy agenda, thus driving our collective mission towards ensuring the best possible outcomes for patients. One of the core missions of the World Bladder Cancer Patient Coalition is to foster an international community of people affected by bladder cancer.
We discussed different avenues for engaging our multi-stakeholder network to help us deliver this mission, exchange ideas on how to connect these communities with each other and with resources, and how to bring unity for the vision and goals of bladder cancer patient organisations worldwide.
The meeting will also brought attention to some of the most pressing issues in the bladder cancer community. From medicines shortages to innovation in bladder cancer, the discussion focused on patients voice in shaping research agenda and driving advocacy and policy change.
