Key Takeaways from our joint EUrology Session on Bladder Cancer
Bladder cancer remains a critical yet underrepresented issue in cancer policy and research. At the EUrology Session on Bladder Cancer organised together with the European Association of Urology, experts, policymakers, researchers, and patient advocates came together to discuss the latest advancements, challenges, and urgent policy needs in tackling bladder cancer.
What we covered:
🔹 Prevention & Policy – Tobacco control and smoke-free initiatives remain key to reducing bladder cancer incidence. But how can we push for stronger EU-wide action?
🔹 Diagnosis & Innovation – Advances in urinary biomarkers and research into early detection offer hope for less invasive, more accurate diagnostics.
🔹 Patient Experience – First-hand accounts highlighted the life-altering impact of bladder cancer, particularly the lack of treatment options and the high burden of BCG therapy.
🔹 Treatment & Access – While new therapies are emerging after decades of stagnation, ensuring patient access and affordability remains a challenge.
🔹 Quality of Life – Survivors continue to face long-term side effects, and mental health impacts are often overlooked. How can healthcare systems improve post-treatment support?
Action Points Moving Forward:
✅ Prioritise bladder cancer in EU health policy – A stronger political will is needed to advance early detection, prevention, and patient-centred research.
✅ Accelerate innovation & access – From biomarker research to clinical trials, we must speed up access to effective treatments.
✅ Support patient advocacy – Voices of patients must be at the heart of policy discussions and research efforts.
Bladder cancer is not rare, and we can no longer afford to ignore it. A huge thank you to all the speakers, advocates, and experts who contributed to this essential conversation! Let’s keep pushing for change.
#BladderCancer #CancerResearch #HealthPolicy #PatientAdvocacy #EU4Health #EUrology Joséphine Mosset-Keane Melanie Costin Alex Filicevas Thorsten Ecke Florence Le Calvez-Kelm Bente Thoft Jensen Ondrej Dostal Piet Klein ALESSANDRA MORETTI Hendrik Van Poppel
