Bladder Cancer Awareness Day - May 7, 2024

Bladder cancer is the most common malignancy in the urinary system and age is a significant risk factor for the development of bladder cancer.

 Read
Join Helpful now
Get more personalized support for free with Helpful.

Get insurance benefits, legal documents, and medical records in one place

Bladder Cancer Awareness Day

Helpful Highlights

The association between aging and cancer is well exemplified by bladder cancer: with advancing age, the risk of developing bladder cancer increases, and clinical presentation and outcomes worsen.

Bladder Cancer Awareness Day aims to foster engagement and drive awareness around speaking to a healthcare professional as soon as possible if your loved one is showing signs and symptoms of bladder cancer, namely blood in their urine.

How can I help?

Watch for signs and symptoms in your loved one that may include blood in the urine (hematuria), frequent urination, painful urination, and back pain.

Blood in the urine may cause it to appear bright red or cola-colored, though sometimes the urine appears normal and blood is only detected on a lab test.

If you notice that your loved one has discolored urine and are concerned it may contain blood, make an appointment with their provider to get it checked, even if you're not sure that it's serious.

Statistics

Bladder cancer occurs primarily in older adults, with over 75% of new cases detected in patients 65 years and older.

The median age at diagnosis is 73 years, and individuals aged 75–84 years account for the largest percentage of new cases (> 30%).

Approximately 78% of people diagnosed with bladder cancer survive five years or more after diagnosis, though the survival rate sharply decreases with advanced age (85 and older).

5 things you should know about bladder cancer

  1. Blood in the urine is the most common symptom of bladder cancer.

  2. Smoking is the biggest risk factor for bladder cancer.

  3. Bladder cancer is the 9th most common cancer in the world.

  4. Bladder cancer is most common in men, but 1 in 4 cases are in women.

  5. When caught early, bladder cancer is highly treatable.

Bladder cancer (BC) is an age-associated malignancy. Evidence has shown that patients with bladder cancer are diagnosed at a much older age compared with those with other cancers.

Risk factors

Risk factors that may increase your loved one's bladder cancer risk include:

Join Helpful now

RESOURCES

American Association of Cancer Research (AACR)

Guancial, E.A., Roussel, B., Bergsma, D.P., Byland, K.C., Sahasrabudhe, D., Messing, E., Mohile, S.G., & Fung, C. (2015). Bladder cancer in the elderly patient: challenges and solutions. Clinical Interventions in Aging, 10, 939-949. DOI

Mayo Clinic

National Cancer Institute. (2024). Cancer stat facts: Bladder cancer. United States Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) Database. Link

Stop the Drop game presented by the World Bladder Cancer Patient Coalition

World Bladder Cancer Patient Coalition

Get more support and guidance on insurance benefits, medical records and legal forms.

Helpful brings together your insurance benefits, legal documents, and medical records in one personalized place — so you always know what you have, and never have to search again.

banner

Simplifying Healthcare, Supporting Mental Health

An all-in-one solution to help navigate the complexities of healthcare and support for mental health, for you or your loved one.

sync

Manage All Your Health Info in One Place

Learn More

therapy

In-Network Mental Healthcare

Find a Therapist

legal

Create Legal Documents to Guide Your Care

Learn More

call insurance

Let Us Call Your Insurance So You Don't Have To

Learn More

insurance

Maximize Your Insurance Benefits

Learn More

money

Manage a Health Condition with Confidence

Learn More