One, 5 and 10 Year Net Survival Rates for Male and Female Bladder Cancer Patients; Why are they so Different?

The most common symptom of bladder cancer is blood in the urine (haematuria), which is usually painless. Haematuria can be frank (macroscopic), visible to the patient, or invisible (microscopic), which is normally detected during a routine urine dipstick test. Haematuria in its visible and invisible forms can represent a disease process within the urinary tract. These diseases can range from benign causes to malignant causes such as bladder cancer. Indeed, it is common for no obvious cause to be identified after detailed investigations. These investigations include cystoscopy, cytology and radiological imaging of the upper urinary tract. In many cases, there are significant delays in diagnosing bladder cancer in women as many women ignore the most basic symptom, haematuria which they often associate with menstruation or menopause. Furthermore, even after the problem has been reported to their GP, haematuria can still be misdiagnosed as cystitis or a urinary tract infection. Women are less likely than men to undergo a complete and timely evaluation for haematuria. As such, there can be a significant delay in a bladder cancer diagnosis. Late diagnosis and developing rare forms of the disease are among the possible factors which may explain the disparity between male and female bladder cancer survival rates.