Issue No. 22 / October 2010
In this issue Risk factors Genetic risk assessment program Signs and symptoms
cancer update PROFILES IN CANCER MEDICINE
Types of bladder cancer Diagnosing bladder cancer Treating bladder cancer Surviving bladder cancer Multidisciplinary cancer care Graham Cancer Center renews accreditation Cancer case distribution at Christiana Care Graham Cancer Center awarded funding to expand research
Treating Bladder Cancer – a multidisciplinary team approach Bladder cancer is the sixth most common cancer in Delaware. Like most cancers, early treatment for bladder cancer works best. Patients who choose an experienced cancer center with a qualified team of specialists broaden their treatment options and improve their outcomes. In 2009, the Delaware Cancer Registry recorded 241 diagnosed cases of bladder cancer. Of those, more than one-third (from Delaware and out-of-state) were diagnosed and/or received initial treatment at the Helen F. Graham Cancer Center at Christiana Care.
Prevalence of bladder cancer In 2010, the Delaware Division of Public Health reported 1,104 new bladder cancer cases diagnosed between 2002 and 2006. Caucasian men accounted for 74.5 percent of these cases. During that period, of the 256 Delawareans who died from bladder cancer, 70.7 percent were men. Although bladder cancer deaths are declining in Delaware, the rate of decline (1.7 percent) is slower than the U.S. rate (2.3 percent). Bladder cancer remains the eighth most common cause of cancer mortality in our state. Most often, bladder cancer is diagnosed when it is still confined to the lining of the bladder. Historically, approximately 30 percent of newly diagnosed cancers have invaded (continued on next page)