Press Releases

Representative Matt Cartwright (PA-08) introduced a resolution on Wednesday to designate May as National Bladder Cancer Awareness Month.

Bladder cancer is the sixth most common cancer in the nation. More than 80,000 people will be diagnosed with bladder cancer this year alone, and over 17,000 will die due to the disease, according to estimates from the National Cancer Institute.

“In the fight against cancer, we must do all we can to increase early detection, which can lead to life-saving early treatment,” said Rep. Cartwright. “This resolution will increase awareness about one of the most common types of cancer in the United States, helping promote early diagnosis and potentially leading more Americans to find timely treatment and beat their diagnosis.”

When diagnosed and treated early, bladder cancer has a relative five-year survival rate of 95 percent. When diagnosis and treatment are delayed, the survival rate can drop as low as 15 percent.

Bladder cancer remains one of the most expensive cancers to treat on a per-patient basis, costing the nation an estimated $4 billion each year.

###