Researchers identified several major initiatives that can enhance the overall care and quality of life of bladder cancer patients. The results appeared in the French journal Bulletin du Cancer.
In this telephone survey study, researchers assessed 15 health care professionals, 10 patients, and 5 family caregivers between November 2020 and March 2021. They sought to discern any major steps to improve pathway care as it relates to emotional and societal dimensions for patients with either locally advanced or metastatic bladder cancer and aimed to identify barriers.
Barriers for optimal care included lack of knowledge of risk factors and warning signs of bladder cancer by the general population and some health care professionals, difficulties related to announcement consultation, lack of psychological support, and lack of information.
The researchers proposed solutions to address these challenges, including implementing a public awareness initiative on bladder cancer, developing informational books for patients and their caregivers, and creating tools to help health care professionals and patients communicate during consultations.
Reference: Houédé N, Flahault C, Gross-Goupil M, et al. Locally advanced or metastatic bladder cancer: identification of barriers and levers of patients’ pathway in France. Article in French. Cancer de la vessie localement avancé ou métastatique: identification des freins et leviers du parcours des patients en France. Bull Cancer. 2022;S0007-4551(22)00187-4. doi:10.1016/j.bulcan.2022.04.010
