Supporting the Ukranian bladder cancer community

The World Bladder Cancer Patient Coalition stands in solidarity with Ukrainians and would like to extend support to the Ukrainian bladder cancer community. 

There are over 14,000 people in Ukraine who live with bladder cancer and who require support and effective treatment. As a community that is dependent on regular care, the wartime destruction of vital infrastructures, such as hospitals and care centres, threatens the lives of this vulnerable population even more.

As the situation escalates rapidly, we need to avoid a potential humanitarian crisis and ensure that people living with bladder cancer, whose conditions often need frequent medical attention, are not left behind. On this page, we have compiled a list of resources or organisations that refugees affected by bladder cancer can use.

The World Bladder Cancer Patient Coalition is part of the ECO-ASCO Special Network on the Impact of the War in Ukraine on Cancer. It addresses the challenges currently being faced by Ukrainian cancer patients and those treating and supporting them, including those that have been shared with ASCO and ECO already:

• Lack of data/medical records
• Language barriers
• Access to information about treatment and support options in the patient’s new country in relevant languages
• Capacity issues within neighbouring countries
• Lack of resources for cancer organisations within neighbouring countries
• Need for connectivity to other European countries – for their capacity to support
• Need for co-ordination to address medicine shortages
• GDPR restrictions on patient information

As thousands of Ukrainian refugees are forced to leave their homes and relocate to other countries around Europe, we have compiled a list of relevant support organisations that people affected by bladder cancer can contact.

For the most up-to-date information regarding national patient support groups and other support networks, we strongly encourage you to visit: https://www.europeancancer.org/help