Updates for the Bladder Cancer Community Regarding Coronavirus

As an organization that has long advocated for the health and safety of those in our community, BCAN would like to thank all of the medical professionals and first responders who have taken great personal risks to assist those who are in dire need during the COVID-19 pandemic.  As millions of people in America have been asked to practice social distancing or self-quarantine, those dedicated professionals are firmly on the front lines of the battle against the novel Coronavirus.  They are working hard to save lives.

All of us at BCAN are deeply grateful for their continued dedication and sacrifice.

The Bladder Cancer Advocacy Network has received questions from our bladder cancer community about how to safely treat their disease while reducing their risks for the current pandemic. BCAN is deeply grateful to our expert medical advisors for their input answering questions from patients and their families about bladder cancer and the COVID-19 pandemic.

Read the COVID-19 and bladder cancer FAQ here.

March 24, 2020

To everyone in the BCAN family,

As we live through these unprecedented times, I want you to know that all of you are in my thoughts and I wish nothing but health and wellness for you and your loved ones.

Even as social distancing is being practiced throughout the United States because of the Coronavirus, I want you to know that all of us at the Bladder Cancer Advocacy Network (BCAN) are working hard to fulfill our mission of advancing bladder cancer research and supporting those impacted by the disease.

We have always had a robust offering of free online tools and resources for the bladder cancer community, and these will continue to be available throughout the current crisis, including:

• Past webinars: We have more than 40 previously conducted webinars on our web site about a host of bladder cancer topics, including women and bladder cancer, the care and keeping of an ileal conduit, and many more. If you’ve never had the opportunity to tune in, I’d encourage you to do so.
• BCAN’s YouTube channel: Our YouTube channel also offers video from past webinars, but also contains videos from BCAN’s “Conversations: Let’s Talk About Bladder Cancer” series as well as many additional videos with in-depth information about bladder cancer.
• The BCAN Inspire community. BCAN’s bladder cancer Inspire community has more than 38.000 members and offers a convenient, safe place to talk online to others about the disease and “meet” others who truly understand your bladder cancer journey.
• BCAN’s web site: Our web site, accessible at any time, contains hundreds of pages of information about bladder cancer and remains one of our most popular sources of information.
• Virtual Walks to End Bladder Cancer: The BCAN Walks to End Bladder Cancer are our signature awareness events and, given our current situation, most have been postponed or are being offered as virtual walks that you can participate in from your favorite walking spot or even on the treadmill at home. You can learn more about the Virtual Walks at www.bcanwalk.org or download the Walk with BCAN app from your App Store.
• Additional upcoming programming: We have plans to offer additional live and pre-recorded bladder cancer programming on Facebook, our YouTube channel, and on Twitter. We will be announcing new programming soon.

Best regards,

Andrea Maddox-Smith

COVID-19 is a rapidly evolving health emergency. BCAN urges you to beware of misinformation and hoaxes.

The current COVID-19 (novel coronavirus) pandemic has spawned countless online rumors and hoaxes. These messages can sometimes look official or appear to come from someone you know. They often promise you can do something that will decrease your risk of becoming sick from this virus.  If it sounds too good to be true, it’s probably a scam.

Rumors of alternative remedies or preventions are showing up online and in social media like Facebook or Twitter. Untrue statements may come from well-meaning people who just aren’t qualified to give out medical advice. Some statements are incorrectly attributed to medical experts who did not give that advice.

Please verify all online information before passing anything on to family and/or friends. Keep a close eye on information from your local authorities. Search for key words online to find a reliable source that also has the same information, such as the Centers for Disease Control or your state or local health departments. Reliable websites usually end with “.gov” (for government resources) or “.edu” (for academic resources).

Reputable resources of information include:

Centers of Disease Control and Prevention: https://www.coronavirus.gov

National Institutes of Health: https://www.nih.gov/coronavirus

“Coronavirus: What Cancer Patients Need to Know”  Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center

“Coronavirus: What People with Cancer Should Know” – National Cancer Institute

“Coronavirus 2019: What People With Cancer Need to Know”– American Society of Clinical Oncology’s (ASCO) Cancer.Net

ASCO – Coronavirus Resources – American Society of Clinical Oncology

“Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) in the U.S.”  – Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

March 17, 2020

From BCAN’s CEO, Andrea Maddox-Smith:

From all of us at the Bladder Cancer Advocacy Network (BCAN), we hope that you and your loved ones are staying safe and as healthy as possible during the COVID-19 (Novel Coronavirus) pandemic.

Especially in these unprecedented times, we are more committed than ever to serving members of the bladder cancer community, including patients, advocates, volunteers, caregivers, medical professionals and more. I want to assure you that BCAN is open for business and will continue our critical mission of advancing bladder cancer research and supporting those impacted by the disease.
I’d also like to update all of you on and how the COVID-19 is affecting the Bladder Cancer Advocacy Network and our community.

Continuing our critical mission online
I would like to remind all of our community members that BCAN has a robust website and social media presence on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. It is heartening to know that our community is accustomed to receiving information either electronically or via events like our webinars. We will carry out as much of our programming as possible and are looking at additional programming as well.
We will post updates on the COVID-19 page on our web site as well.

Get your questions answered
What do you want to know about how COVID-19 may impact your bladder cancer treatment? Please click on the link below and submit your questions. We will compile your questions and share the answers we get from national experts on our website.
Please submit your questions about COVID-19 and bladder cancer here.

BCAN’s office and staff
All BCAN employees will be working remotely until further notice. Staff will continue the important work that we do for bladder cancer patients and can be reached by email or a voice message can be left by phone.
Finally, those seeking additional information about COVID-19 should consult the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention web site. For additional information regarding cancer and the COVID-19, pandemic please check the American Society of Clinical Oncology update.

I wish health and safety for all of you.

Best regards,

Andrea Maddox-Smith

March 11, 2020

Message to the Bladder Cancer Community Regarding Coronavirus

Like many, we at the Bladder Cancer Advocacy Network, or BCAN, are monitoring the spread of the COVID-19, or coronavirus.   As a patient-focused organization, we are particularly concerned about the health, safety and welfare of our patients, caregivers, volunteers, industry partners, employees and medical professionals as this virus spreads.

We are also cognizant of the fact that every year, thousands of people meet in person at  BCAN-sponsored events like our Think Tank, Patient Summit and also our Walks to End Bladder Cancer.   We are updating our community members on the status of several of our in-person events.

The Future

Throughout our 15 years, BCAN has been proud to partner with the leading medical professionals in this country and we will continue to draw upon outside medical expertise as we make important decisions.

Those seeking additional information should consult the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention web site.