BCAN announced on Wednesday, May 16, that Dr. Ami S. Bhatt of the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute and Broad Institute has been named the 2012 recipient of the Raymond and Maria Floyd Award for Bladder Cancer Research.  We would like to thank the many strong applicants from which Dr. Bhatt’s proposal was chosen, as well as the tireless members of our award review committee.

The $25,000 award will help support Dt. Bhatt’s research project to identify a bacteria or virus that may trigger bladder cancer. While environmental factors such as tobacco smoke and infections by parasites are known to cause the disease, in many bladder cancers the cause is unknown.

Viruses, such as HPV, are now known to cause certain cancers such as cervical cancer. As a result, vaccines against HPV are now available and are predicted to save lives worldwide. Dr. Bhatt’s goal is to identify a viral or bacterial connection so that a similar prevention strategy can be developed for bladder cancer.  Learn more about Dr. Bhatt and the research award.

We sent out around 5,000 bright orange shirts to walks across the country. You might see these shirts and wonder – why orange?

When BCAN was started in 2005 by John and Diane Quale, they chose to use orange in our logo and our awareness materials. Orange was chosen as a color of healing and hope, a “beacon” – or “BCAN” – of light.

We don’t know who first used other colors, like yellow, as the color for Bladder Cancer Awareness. Since there had been no national bladder cancer organization before BCAN was founded, as far as we know the color yellow was mainly used by people selling awareness materials. Different colors can be used by different organizations, but BCAN’s official color is a bold, bright, hopeful orange.

The forum will will take place on Saturday, April 28, 2012 at the Sheraton Crystal City in Arlington, Virginia. Register now or learn more by taking a look at our informational flyer. Questions? Ask Grace at gschroer@bcan.org.  If you can’t make it, the slides and video will be posted on our website in May or June, but that will not include the Q&A sessions.

For the second year in a row, CBS newsman and bladder cancer survivor Bob Schieffer has agreed to serve as the honorary chair for Walk for Bladder Cancer this Saturday, May 5. BCAN was thrilled to get the chance to ask him a few questions about his experiences with bladder cancer.  See his answers below.

What led to your bladder cancer diagnosis? After a workout in the gym one morning in 2004,  I saw blood in the urine, thinking I had probably just strained myself, I did nothing but two days later when I saw the same thing, I went to my doctor who told me it might mean bladder cancer. He sent me to a radiologist who confirmed there was a tumor. My internist Bryan Arling referred me to a urological surgeon who scheduled surgery immediately. Two days later he removed the tumor through a catheter  and it was  was immediately identified as stage three cancer.Over the next two years, I was given regular infusions of the drug BCG and interferon. The doctor said that had I waited another two weeks, the tumor would have gone through the wall of the bladder. Because we acted quickly, today, 8 years later, I remain cancer free.

Why are you walking on Saturday, May 5? Because I believe all of us who have dealt with this deadly disease have an obligation to tell others that being told you have cancer is not the death penalty. Bladder cancer, if we act quickly can be cured.

What do you think other bladder cancer survivors can do to help raise awareness of this disease? Talk about it. Bladder cancer is one of those below the belt diseases that people are embarrassed to talk about in public. We have to change that, unless we can make it part of the conversation, people will be reluctant to contribute money to help us find the cause.

What advice do you have to others who are  living with bladder cancer? Take it one day at a time, take charge of your disease, no one cares more about your disease than you do. Read the literature, consult your doctor, and get second opinions. Remember, every day you stay alive improves your chances for survival and the possibility of a scientific breakthrough.

We hope to see many of you there!  If you can’t make it, the slides and video will be posted on our website in May or June, but that will not include the Q&A sessions.

This description was prepared by the study organizers. BCAN periodically highlights trials and studies that are recruiting patients.  This service is not intended as an endorsement by BCAN of any particular study.

One article talks about advances in bladder cancer research and getting involved in clinical trials.  As the article mentions, there have been no significant advances in bladder cancer treatment in several decades.  We’re hopeful that the research they highlight, including studies of which patients are likely to benefit from certain treatments, will move the field forward.  The article features quotes from a variety of doctors and patients, including several members of BCAN’s Scientific Advisory Board and BCAN’s 2010 Research Award Winner.  The second article talks about how to “Be Your Own Best Advocate When it Comes to Bladder Cancer.”

In the late 1980’s the community of urologic oncologists was energized following the initial reports of patients with bladder cancer obtaining significant benefit from the novel combination of chemotherapy drugs referred to as MVAC which was built around the chemotherapy drug cisplatin which had already had a transformative effect on how cancer doctors managed patients with testicular cancer. Only now with the perspective of several decades can we appreciate that as important as those developments were, little, if any, progress has been made in the intervening decades.

Recently, a new generation of drugs have slowly moved there way into clinical trials, however drug development in advanced urothelial cancer (bladder, renal pelvis, ureter, uretha) remains challenging given that many novel drugs are first evaluated in more common cancers such as lung and breast cancer, and there are ongoing difficulties in completing clinical trials in part because many patients with advanced urothelial cancer are older and have other significant medical problems.

Despite the challenges, there is hope. In the fall of 2011 a group of experts in urothelial carcinoma attended a National Cancer Institute Sponsored workshop entitled “Novel Neoadjuvant Therapy for Bladder Cancer” where plans to develop new strategies and new studies were discussed. Two of the clinical trials discussed at that meeting are currently in late stage development. The participants of that conference came away energized to push hard on a number of fronts to move the field forward…..NOW.

Fourth Webinar Tuesday, February 28 – Want to know more about how you can have a successful fundraising walk? Not sure how to ask for support? Learn more by attending BCAN’s fundraising webinar on Tuesday, February 28 at 7 PM EST. Register now. This is a new webinar focusing just on fundraising!

This forum included some great presentations by doctors from the Baylor College of Medicine and MD Anderson Cancer Center. Check them out! As a preview, you can see this short clip of Dr. Ashish Kamat talking about BCG:

Not sure if you want to organize a walk? Have a few questions? Learn more by watching the recording of our introductory webinar.

With the help of our incredible supporters, BCAN has grown a lot in the past six years.  We’re proud every time we’re able to do more in the fight against bladder cancer, whether by helping more patients, supporting more research, or doing more to raise awareness. Now, this expansion means that we’ve outgrown our first office!  Next week we will be moving to a larger office, just a block up the street.

For the second year in a row, CBS newsman and bladder cancer survivor Bob Schieffer has agreed to serve as the honorary chair for Walk for Bladder Cancer Day scheduled for Saturday, May 5, 2012 as a means to bring national attention to this ignored disease. Schieffer was diagnosed with bladder cancer several years ago after he noticed blood in his urine. Since then, he has repeatedly spoken out about his diagnosis and treatment. His openness about his disease has helped bladder cancer survivors recognize that they are not alone and encouraged others to visit a doctor if they see symptoms. Schieffer is the Chief Washington Correspondent for CBS News and has anchored Face the Nation since 1991.

On May 5th, Schieffer and other supporters in the Washington DC area will meet and walk in our nation’s capital raising awareness and funds for bladder cancer research and education. At the same time, bladder cancer survivors, caregivers, loved ones and their friends across the country will take to the streets in their local communities bringing needed attention and focus on this very common, but unspoken of, disease. Read the full press release here and learn more about how you can Walk for Bladder Cancer.

Founder’s Circle ($5,000 and higher)
Champion’s Circle ($1,000 – $4,999)
Advocate’s Circle ($500 – $999)
Friend’s Circle ($100 – $499)

Read more about why we need your support. If you have already donated, thank you so much!