bladder cancer has typically affected older people who smoke, but now it's showing up in younger non-smokers. and we don't know why.

when jack moon was diagnosed with bladder cancer in 2005, he relied on his medical team to treat the disease that had invaded his body. but canada had very little in the way of emotional support, a critical component of recovery. the georgetown, ontario, resident wanted to connect with others going through the same journey, to share challenges, hopes, fears and the latest information. he discovered such a group in the u.s., the bladder cancer advocacy network , but there was no similar organization in canada.

the network told him about david guttman, another ontario bladder cancer patient, who was also in search of a support system in his own country. so, in 2009, the two formed bladder cancer canada (bcc) to ensure other patients had the support they never had, and to raise awareness about the disease.

what are bladder cancer canada’s objectives since jack and david founded it in 2009?

what are some of the challenges facing people with bladder cancer?

how did the pandemic affect the bladder cancer community?

“hopefully, in five years we will be seeing more patients getting these treatments, so they can live beyond their diagnosis,” says cassie schooley, communications specialist with bladder cancer canada. supplied

our in-person support groups moved to zoom, which actually turned into a good thing because they became available to a lot more people. our biggest fundraising initiative, the annual walk in september, was forced to go virtual, so we introduced a “walk where you are” format that was quite successful. [the 13 ^th annual walk for bladder cancer takes place this year on sept. 23 and 24.]

what’s the biggest misconception about bladder cancer?

tell us about some of the initiatives you are working on.

we have a few campaigns, such as see red? see your doctor . a new initiative to increase awareness with the younger demographic is our bladder cancer sucks social media campaign. we’re challenging people to suck on a lemon and take a selfie and use the hashtag #bladdercancersucks. we want to make it a talking point and get younger people involved and aware.

is there anything new in bladder cancer research?

lastly, earlier this year there was a new announcement regarding a simple urine test [called uroamp ] to detect bladder cancer much sooner than a traditional assessment would. typically, it’s a pretty involved procedure. cystoscopy requires the insertion of a camera in the bladder [to see inside and collect cells for biopsy], so the idea of a simple urine test is wonderful news. i don’t know how quickly we’ll see that though, as it’s currently pending health canada approval, as well as pending approval coverage in each province and territory.

what do you hope bladder cancer will look like in five years?