Following recurrent non-invasive bladder cancer over five years, resections, and treatment plans which consisted of BCG, radiotherapy, and hyperbaric treatment, in October 2014 my father lost his battle with Bladder Cancer at the age of only 48.
Following the failure of these treatment plans in early/mid 2014 he was advised to undergo a cystectomy and the formation of an ileal conduit. However, due to previous radiotherapy this procedure was extremely high risk. There was also a lot of confusion as to wether he still had the cancer at all! While in consultation with medical professionals regarding the next steps to be taken he was placed into palliative care and lost his battle just weeks later.
While bladder cancer is an extremely common cancer with a five year survival rate of only around 50 percent, it is mostly “unheard of” compared to other common cancers such as breast or prostate cancer which actually have a higher five year survival rate. Therefore, much more awareness of bladder cancer is needed!