L’Association Française d’Urologie (AFU) and l’association de patients Cancer Vessie France have joined forces to launch a large public awareness campaign throughout the month of May regarding the bladder cancer, a cancer that is still not widely known. Working daily to fight against this cancer, which is the second urological cancer after prostate cancer, the two health actors wish to halt the advance of this cancer in France, which affects between 13,000 and 20,000 new people each year.
The bladder cancer is as devastating as it is little known, displaying unfortunately impressive figures: between 13,000 and 20,000 additional people are affected by it every year, four times more cases in men than in women, the second most urological cancer and a remission rate ranging from 80% to 5%. It seems, however, easy to detect since in 80 to 90% of cases, the first symptom is the presence of visible blood in the urine. But the public needs to know about this…
To make the public aware in France, AFC and Cancer Vessie France have decided to launch an information campaign together. Time once again is the most critical factor for survival: when cancer is caught in time, survival is 80% after 5 years, but if the diagnosis is made later on, only a survival rate of 50% is observed, and only 5% survival in the metastatic stage. It is therefore essential that people can react quickly to the appearance of the first symptoms.
“In May 2023, the month of bladder cancer, different statements are therefore being organised for the different target audiences, such as patients, the general public, or even healthcare professionals, in order to get this cancer out of its “media isolation” and directly improve the early diagnosis of the disease and thus reduce mortality,” says Dr. Benjamin Pradere, Urologist and member of L’AFU’s Oncology Committee.
Detecting cancer of the bladder early is crucial. To date, there is no validated method of systematic screening for bladder tumours. It is therefore crucial to detect bladder cancer very early based on warning symptoms such as hematuria (the presence of blood in the urine is by far the most common symptom), but sometimes also recurrent cystitis or even urinary tract disorders. All of these signs should be an incentive for people to consult their physician promptly. If cancer is diagnosed, several treatments are possible, including cystoscopy (endoscopic exploration of the bladder), surgery (endoscopic resection), or endovesical instillation, which aims to activate the body’s immune system to fight cancer and reduce the risks of tumour recurrence and progression. New therapies are currently being developed, giving new hope for improving patient care.
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