More than a decade ago, Nathan Lawrentschuk and I (as surgeon and patient), put down the roots for our charity, BladderCancer.org.au, which has continued its work supporting patients and medicos working with bladder cancer. All of our resources, especially our booklets and pamphlets designed especially for patients, serve as a valuable resource for so many hospitals, surgeries and specialist rooms across the country. Updated editions are available.
Or order through contact@bladdercancer.org.au
I am Tony. Co-founder of the organisation. 70 year-old bladder cancer survivor with a neobladder, done in 2011 by Nathan. My neobladder is coming up for its 15th birthday. Amazing! And medical breakthroughs continue to occur. Evening news so often carries stories of new treatments to solve what were once unsolvable issues.
I have three friends fighting cancer at the moment. Diagnoses not good. But by careful attention to their condition, and doing everything possible to win, they are all doing well at this point. Immunotherapy is a particular bright spot for some.
I often tell my friends and acquaintances – YOU MUST DRIVE YOUR OWN HEALTHCARE! As my mates are doing. Stay healthy and stay alive. And stay informed. A new trial or treatment might be just around the corner.
Tony.
Please support our work and help us to produce and distribute our resources.
Donations to Bladder Cancer Australia Charity Foundation are tax deductible in Australia.
Registered Charity ABN 59119773067
UROGP – A FANTASTIC DAY OF LEARNING FOR GPS
Our BladderCancer.org.au exhibits at UroGP every year. Last month was the 17th meeting, attended by the biggest crowd ever. We draw lots of people to our booth inquiring about our resources, and, of course, hoping to win the guitar through our raffle.
Professors Damian Bolton and Nathan Lawrentschuk organise the symposium.
NEW AUSTRALIAN CANCER NURSING CAPABILITY (AUSCAN) FRAMEWORK
The Australian Cancer Nursing Capability Framework, known as AusCaN, has released a national resource for registered nurses who care for people affected by cancer, in both dedicated cancer services and broader health settings.
The Framework builds on the foundational EdCan Framework which has guided Australian cancer nursing for the past 15 years, with updates reflecting major changes in treatment, technology, models of care, survivorship and the breadth of modern cancer. The Framework reflects these changes across three levels: Essential, Specialised and Advanced and organises contemporary cancer nursing knowledge, skills and professional behaviour capabilities across four domains: Clinical Practice, Education, Leadership and Management, and Research and Innovation.
The Framework is available here, free of charge, to all cancer nurses, who can customise it to suit their needs:
AusCaN Framework: www.auscanframework.com.au
Source: https://cnsa.org.au
IMPROVED ACCESS TO CANCER CLINICAL TRIALS FOR INDIGENOUS AUSTRALIANS
A new research program from the Surgical Outcomes Research Centre (SOuRCe) and the National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC) Clinical Trials Centre aims to improve access to cancer clinical trials for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities.
Approximately 165,000 Australians were diagnosed with cancer in 2025, an average of over 450 per day. Almost 3,400 of these were diagnosed with bladder cancer. (Cancer Australia). Alarmingly, the rate for cancer diagnosis for Indigenous Australians is 1.4 times higher than for the rest of the population. And shockingly, they are likely to die at twice the rate. (Sydney Morning Herald, 14/07/2026)
There are multiple factors contributing to these poor outcomes and one of them is that Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities are 2 ½ times less likely to participate in cancer clinical trials. This low participation rate limits their access to innovative and cutting-edge treatments; closer monitoring and follow-up; and advanced models of care. Lower complication rates, shorter hospital stays and improved survival are some of the benefits.
The new Australia-first program, led by Professor Daniel Steffens and his team, aims to address the inequity by improving participation in clinical trials through community-led, culturally safe approaches. It is currently being rolled out across Sydney’s Local Health District with plans to expand it throughout NSW and Australia in the future.
Source: Sydney Morning Herald, 14/07/2026
FIND A CLINICAL TRIAL FOR BLADDER CANCER
Two excellent options for sourcing clinical trials for bladder cancer are:
- Australia New Zealand Clinical Trials Registry (ANZCTR)
www.anzctr.org.au - Australian Clinical Trials
www.australiancancertrials.gov.au
ANZUP SCIENTIFIC MEETING
A review of the 2026 ANZUP (Australian & NZ Urogenital and Prostate Cancer Trials Group) Annual Scientific Meeting was held at the Adelaide Convention Centre, South Australia, from June 28–30. Interesting summaries on BCG side-effects and CX Bladder are available. Click image for the link to the newsletter.
NEW DATA ON BLADDER CANCER IN EUROPE
A new study, “Bladder Cancer Incidence and Mortality: A Global Overview and Recent Trends” by Filho, Adalberto.M.; Alberto Briganti; Ahmedin Jemal; and Freddie Bray can be found here.
A summary of the findings are illustrated below:
INCREASE IN CANCER RATES IN THE YOUNG
Almost 1 million Australians have been diagnosed with cancer over the past 10 years. Three out of every 10 deaths in Australia are caused by cancer. An estimated 88% of these cancers are in people over 50, clearly illustrating the high mortality rate in this group. However, a changing picture is emerging. Cancer is no longer the scourge solely of older Australians, it is now also afflicting more and more young Australians in their 30s and 40s.
Read more…
DIAGNOSED WITH BLADDER CANCER AT THE AGE OF 24 – MY STORY, TIARNA MURTY
“Hi, I’m Tiarna. I was just 24 years old when I was diagnosed with bladder cancer. At the time, none of my doctors expected it. Bladder cancer is usually thought of as an older person’s disease, so when I went to my GP with blood in my urine and UTI-like symptoms, a urinary tract infection seemed like the obvious explanation, particularly in a young woman. When that continually didn’t resolve the symptoms I was experiencing, I consulted with a different GP. That decision changed my life.”
Read more…
DIAGNOSED WITH BLADDER CANCER AT THE AGE OF 41 – MY STORY, STEVEN RAEBURN
“It started with blood, so much of it, pouring, flowing. I froze in horror and shocked disgust at the sight of it. Spewing from me as I stood rooted to the spot. Late at night. Blood. From the end of my penis as I went to the loo. Thankfully the light was on, or I might have missed it. It must have been diluted, but it flowed seemingly endlessly, with the texture and colour of red wine. I don’t remember flushing. Or anything else I did that day. I didn’t wake my wife. I went back to be in silence. And life has never been the same since…”
Click here for full story: A Town Called Cancer
THE POETS AMONG US
Two recent publications of poetry from our co-founder and co-chair, Tony Moore and our honorary poet, Geoff Goodfellow.
PEOPLE: A book of poems about life. For kids and adults by Anthony R Moore.
NOSTALGIC ADELAIDE: poems political, social and cultural by Geoffrey Goodfellow.
CONTRIBUTIONS
We get no government funding.
Donations to Bladder Cancer Australia Charity Foundation are tax deductible in Australia.
Registered Charity ABN 59119773067