European White Paper on Bladder Cancer
This week marked a significant milestone as the World Bladder Cancer Patient Coalition and the European Association of Urology jointly launched the European White Paper on Bladder Cancer at the European Parliament.
The objective behind this white paper is to leverage policy advocacy to stimulate bladder cancer awareness, education and improve access to high-quality diagnosis, care, and treatment for patients in Europe.
Hosted by MEP Isátv Ujhelyi, a policy roundtable took place on 25 September 2023 to present the white paper’s recommendations. The discussion focused on legislative opportunities and the imperative of providing better support for bladder cancer patients and caregivers. Chair of the EAU Policy Office, Prof. Hein Van Poppel, and Mrs. Sarah Collen attended the policy roundtable event.
Despite being the fifth most common cancer in Europe, bladder cancer continues to receive disproportionately low research funding. This is despite the fact that its lifetime costs are higher than other cancers. Consequently, this lack of funding has resulted in insufficient awareness and understanding of gender-specific symptoms, which has led to a gender gap in patient outcomes, particularly affecting women.
On behalf of the EAU, Prof. Van Poppel had the opportunity to present his perspective on bladder cancer challenges in Europe and contribute to the robust and productive roundtable discussions.
Other esteemed speakers included Alessandro Boni (bladder cancer patient and advocate), Antonella Cardone (Cancer Patients Europe), Dr. Wendy Yared (Association of European Cancer Leagues), Claire Champeix (Eurocarers), Alex Filicevas (World Bladder Cancer Patient Coalition), and Lori Cirefice (Cancer Vessie France).
For more information, you can read the European White Paper on Bladder Cancer.
