Bladder Cancer Awareness Day

Bladder Cancer Awareness Day is observed the first Saturday in May every year and is a global campaign focusing attention on bladder cancer.

About five percent of all cancer cases are bladder cancer. Bladder Cancer Awareness Day aims to let people know about this lesser known form of cancer as well as raise money to support bladder cancer sufferers.

History of Bladder Cancer Awareness Day

Every year, there are more than 70,000 new cases and 14,000 deaths in the United States relating Bladder Cancer. Bladder cancer has a high rate of recurrence, and because it requires lifelong follow-up, it is one of the most expensive cancers to treat per patient. Despite being the fifth most commonly diagnosed cancer, bladder cancer ranked 23rd in the federal research dollar allocation in 2009.

In recognition of the need for additional funding and to honor Bladder Cancer Awareness Day, BCAN today announced that Dr. Gil Redelman-Sidi, a researcher at the Memorial Cancer Center Sloan-Kettering, is the 2011 Raymond and Maria winner of the Floyd Prize for Bladder Cancer Research. The award will support Dr Redelman-Sidi's research to identify genetic changes that can predict whether bladder cancer patients will respond to instillation of BCG, a popular treatment for reducing the risk of bladder cancer. This information can ultimately be used to increase a patient's response to BCG treatment.

BCAN is also pleased to announce the launch of the Hope after Relapse campaign in conjunction with Bladder Cancer Awareness Day. The goal of the campaign is to support survivors facing the recurrence of non-muscle-invasive bladder cancer by providing information about the disease, providing tools and resources, while helping them feel connected to others who are experiencing a bladder cancer recurrence.

How to celebrate Bladder Cancer Awareness Day

If you would like to participate in Bladder Cancer Awareness Day then you can do so by making regular donations to help in the fight against bladder cancer. With the money given to a charity that supports patients, you can help improve the lives of those affected by bladder cancer. There are a number of different bladder cancer charities, so you should choose the one that's right for you. Read about how you will use the money when the charity receives the money.

Other ways you can get involved during the month include helping patients and their families. If you know someone struggling with bladder cancer right now, offering to support them and their family will mean they can enjoy a better quality of life. Contact your local charity to find out how you can help those in need.

As mentioned before, bladder cancer accounts for 5% of all cancers and is often overlooked or overlooked. During Bladder Cancer Awareness Day, you can also help by spreading the word about bladder cancer and raising awareness about the disease. You can do this through social media by sharing Facebook posts and Tweets from bladder cancer charities with your family and friends.

There are also Bladder Cancer Awareness month frames to use on your profile picture throughout the month. You can also use the hashtags #BladderCancerAware and @BladderCancerUK. Being part of the conversation about bladder cancer will help raise awareness about it and will make people aware of its various symptoms.

You might want to do some of your own fundraising for Bladder Cancer Awareness Month. For example, you might want to take on a sports challenge and find sponsorship for it, or you might want to sign up for a mass fundraising event like running or skydiving. Whatever you choose to do, contact your chosen bladder cancer charity to find out how you go about collecting funding for them.

Throughout the month, you can also wear orange as Bladder Cancer Awareness color. You can choose to wear items you own that are already orange, or you can buy a t-shirt from one of the bladder cancer charities. You may also want to wear orange if you are participating in any fundraising activities for a cause.