At age 47, Rick began experiencing changes in his urinary habits – urgency and frequency. He consulted his primary care doctor, who attributed his symptoms to age. When Rick noticed blood in his urine more than a year later and his father's history of prostate cancer came to mind, he went straight to a urologist who recommended a cystoscopy – a procedure that examines the interior of the bladder and urethra.1
During the cystoscopy appointment, his doctor informed him that he had a tumor. Following a computed tomography (CT) scan and a transurethral resection of bladder tumor (TURBT) to remove and evaluate the tissue, Rick received his diagnosis: muscle-invasive bladder cancer (MIBC).2
"My first question was, what is bladder cancer – can someone really get cancer in their bladder?" Rick recalls.
Knowledge is Power: Understanding Your Disease and Treatment Options
MIBC occurs when a growing tumor invades the bladder's muscle wall, making it more difficult to treat.3,4 Approximately one in four people with bladder cancer will be diagnosed with MIBC and could face bladder removal surgery.5, 6
This was Rick's case, and he underwent a radical cystectomy, a procedure involving the removal of the bladder.2 In some cases, this procedure can also involve the removal of the prostate and seminal vesicles for males and, for females, the removal of the ovaries, fallopian tubes, the uterus, cervix and a small part of the vagina.2 With a surgery to remove his bladder and prostate scheduled just three weeks following his diagnosis, Rick and his doctor discussed options for urinary diversion by creating a new way for urine to exit the body once his bladder was removed.7
Rick and his doctor decided that he would undergo neobladder reconstruction, a surgical procedure that creates a new bladder using a segment of the small intestine.8 The choice was far from simple, as back in 2006, there was limited information about post-surgery life. "My doctors explained the technical aspects of the procedure," Rick said, "but I wondered how it would impact my day-to-day life."
He remembers having more questions than answers and feeling like he had to piece things together on his own. "I became involved in advocacy partly to ensure others could access the resources and support that were unavailable to me," he said.
Rick’s Journey of Hope and Advocacy
Since his diagnosis, Rick has transformed his experience into a mission to support others. He hosts the Bladder Cancer Advocacy Network (BCAN) Bladder Cancer Matters podcast, engaging with experts and fellow patients to discuss treatment options, the latest research and life after diagnosis. His advocacy work extends to collaborations with government and not-for-profit cancer groups.
"It's been incredibly rewarding to help others navigate their own journeys," Rick says. Now, during Bladder Cancer Awareness Month and throughout the year, he continues to emphasize the importance of advocating for oneself and seeking support. While his life has changed in many ways since his diagnosis, Rick remains optimistic about the future of bladder cancer care and the growing resources available to patients.
For more information and helpful resources, please visit BCAN.org.
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1. American Cancer Society. Cystoscopy. Accessed March 2025. Available at: https://www.cancer.org/cancer/diagnosis-staging/tests/endoscopy/cystoscopy.html.
2. American Cancer Society. Treating bladder cancer bladder cancer surgery. Accessed March 2025. Available at: https://www.cancer.org/cancer/types/bladder-cancer/treating/surgery.html.
3. Bladder Cancer Advocacy Network. What is muscle-invasive bladder cancer? Accessed April 2025. https://bcan.org/what-is-muscle-invasive-bladder-cancer/
4. American Cancer Society. What is bladder cancer? Accessed April 2025. https://www.cancer.org/cancer/types/bladder-cancer/about/what-is-bladder-cancer.html
5. American Cancer Society. Bladder cancer surgery. Accessed April 2025. https://www.cancer.org/cancer/types/bladder-cancer/treating/surgery.html
6. National Collaborating Centre for Cancer. Bladder cancer: diagnosis and management. London: National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE). Accessed March 2025. Available at: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK356289/.
7. National Institute of Health. Urinary diversion. Accessed March 2025. Available at: https://www.niddk.nih.gov/health-information/urologic-diseases/urinary-diversion.
8. Cleveland Clinic. Neobladder reconstruction. Accessed March 2025. Available at: https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/procedures/bladder-reconstruction-surgery.
