Bladder Cancer Australia Charity Foundation
The Bladder Cancer Australia Charity Foundation (BCACF) is a registered not-for-profit organisation established to increase public awareness of bladder cancer and to campaign for improved screening and treatment in Australia.[1] The organisation aims to improve outcomes through early detection and public education. It does not receive government funding and is reliant on donations and in-kind contributions from the public and health professionals.[2] The organisation is officially registered with the Australian Charities and Not-for-profits Commission (ACNC).[3] It is also verified as a legitimate website by independent trust-checking platforms such as Scamadviser.[4]
History
Bladder cancer is the 11th most common cause of cancer death in Australia, with survival rates that have not significantly improved in recent decades.[5] In 2025, it was estimated that 3,035 Australians would be diagnosed with bladder cancer (2,223 males and 812 females), and 1,094 would die from the disease.[6]Awareness of symptoms is low; a 2023 survey found more than half of patients were unaware of warning signs before their diagnosis.[7]
The Foundation was founded in Victoria in 2015 by Tony Moore, a bladder cancer survivor, and Professor Nathan Lawrentschuk, a urologic oncologist.[8] Moore underwent radical cystectomy and neobladder reconstruction following his diagnosis. Lawrentschuk is Professor of Urology at the University of Melbourne, with clinical appointments at the Royal Melbourne Hospital and Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre. [citation needed]
Patient resources
A major initiative of BCACF is the publication of the Bladder Cancer Patient Guidebook, now in its fifth edition (2025). The guidebook provides information on symptoms, diagnosis, treatments such as transurethral resection of bladder tumour (TURBT), intravesical therapy, chemotherapy, cystectomy, and post-treatment wellbeing.[2] It is supported by members of the Urological Society of Australia and New Zealand (USANZ) and the Australia & New Zealand Urological Nurses Society (ANZUNS). Comparable patient education materials are also published by Cancer Council Australia.[9]
BCACF also produces illustrated patient procedure guides explaining procedures such as cystoscopy, BCG, chemotherapy, cystectomy, and urinary diversion, developed jointly with clinicians and patients.[1]
Media
In February 2017, BCACF launched the national campaign "Act if you see red" to encourage people to seek medical advice if they noticed blood in their urine. The campaign was reported by the Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC) and highlighted the importance of early diagnosis to improve survival outcomes.[10]The Foundation has also petitioned for a national bladder cancer screening program, including the distribution of simple urine dipstick test kits to detect microscopic blood in urine.[11]
Public awareness
Bladder cancer advocacy is relatively limited in Australia, with few patient-led organisations.[12] Compared with breast, prostate, or bowel cancer, bladder cancer receives less attention in public discourse and research funding.[13]Only a few international public figures have publicly shared their experiences. In 2025, American football coach and former NFL player Deion Sanders disclosed that he had battled bladder cancer, drawing international attention to the disease.[14] Advocates argue that more such disclosures are needed to help reduce stigma, encourage earlier detection, and improve outcomes worldwide.[7]
See also
- Cancer Council Australia
- Prostate Cancer Foundation of Australia
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 Bladder Cancer Australia Charity Foundation official website
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 Bladder Cancer Patient Guidebook (5th ed.). Bladder Cancer Australia Charity Foundation. 2025. Search this book on
- ↑ "Bladder Cancer Australia Charity Foundation". Australian Charities and Not-for-profits Commission. Retrieved 31 August 2025.
- ↑ "Website check: bladdercancer.org.au". Scamadviser. Retrieved 31 August 2025.
- ↑ "Bladder cancer". Cancer Australia. Retrieved 16 August 2025.
- ↑ "Bladder cancer statistics in Australia". Cancer Australia. Retrieved 31 August 2025.
- ↑ 7.0 7.1 "Global Bladder Cancer Survey Sheds Light on Diagnosis Delays". UroToday. 2023. Retrieved 16 August 2025.
- ↑ "Profile: Professor Nathan Lawrentschuk". Royal Australasian College of Surgeons. Retrieved 16 August 2025.
- ↑ "Understanding Bladder Cancer". Cancer Council Australia. Retrieved 16 August 2025.
- ↑ "Bladder cancer charity encourages Australians to 'act if you see red'". ABC News. 27 February 2017. Retrieved 16 August 2025.
- ↑ "Bladder Cancer Screening Kits Petition". Bladder Cancer Australia Charity Foundation. Retrieved 16 August 2025.
- ↑ "In conversation with BEAT Bladder Cancer Australia". World Bladder Cancer Patient Coalition. 2021. Retrieved 16 August 2025.
- ↑ "Our Organisation". World Bladder Cancer Patient Coalition. Retrieved 16 August 2025.
- ↑ "Colorado coach Deion Sanders says he battled bladder cancer". ESPN. 20 February 2025. Retrieved 16 August 2025.
External links
This article "Bladder Cancer Australia Charity Foundation" is from Wikipedia. The list of its authors can be seen in its historical and/or the page Edithistory:Bladder Cancer Australia Charity Foundation. Articles copied from Draft Namespace on Wikipedia could be seen on the Draft Namespace of Wikipedia and not main one.
