Fall Bladder Cancer Summit for Patients and Families

May 31, 2023

Twice a year, the Bladder Cancer Advocacy Network brings together bladder cancer patients, survivors, and caregivers to share stories, experiences, and information about the disease. Our Fall Bladder Cancer Summit for Patients and Families was held on October 27th and 28th in Nashville, TN. You can view the recordings from two days of exciting programs to help you thrive and survive on your bladder cancer journey.

Friday October 27, 2023

In this session attendees learned about BCAN’s new programs and services that can help you understand and manage your diagnosis from BCAN’s Director of Education and Advocacy, Stephanie Chisolm, PhD.

View the BCAN Road Map slides.

In this session, the panelists explored how cancer rehabilitation can help you before and after treatment or while managing possible side effects with a panel moderated by cancer rehabilitation experts: Jessica Engle, DO from Johns Hopkins Medicine, occupational therapist and Program Director, Kirsty T. Livingston, OT/L, CLT, and physical therapist and Director of Education, Alaina Newell PT, DPT. Kirsty and Alaina are both from ReVital Cancer Rehabilitation.

View the Cancer Rehabilitation slides.

Patient Research Advocates – Attendees learned about the history, value and impact of patient-reported outcomes in guiding future bladder cancer journeys with urologist Angela B. Smith, MD from the University of North Carolina School of Medicine.

View the Patient Research Advocate slides.

Tips for managing disruptions and anxiety from bladder cancer. A bladder cancer diagnosis can be life threatening, and life changing. Treatments, recovery, and cancer monitoring, and surveillance schedules can create chaos and anxiety. Drs. Vikram Narayan, MD, and Shreyas Joshi, MD, MPH, from Emory University’s Winship Cancer Center highlighted common issues that accompany the ‘new normal’ after bladder cancer and suggest tips and modifications that can help. Learn how you can work with your doctors to help manage your bladder cancer journey.

View the Managing Disruptions and Anxiety slides.

Nurse practitioners Mary Dunn, MSN, NP-C, OCN, RN from UNC School of Medicine and Krisztina Emodi, FNP, MPH, CNS, wear many hats including co-chairs of BCAN’s Survivorship Taskforce. Mary and Krisztina talked about key issues related to bladder cancer survivorship to enable BCAN to create new programs and resources to help everyone navigate the potholes that often accompany the journey to long term survivorship in bladder cancer.

View the Survivorship Task Force slides.

Saturday, October 28, 2023

Long-time bladder cancer survivors shared their tips and tricks for navigating the road to survivorship with bladder cancer. BCAN patient advocates Lori, David, Vicky, and Karen had some suggestions for patients and caregivers. The session was moderated by nurse practitioner Mary Dunn and Stephanie Chisolm.

Moving Through Bladder Cancer – Physical, mental, and emotional “exercise” can impact your treatment, mental health, and quality of life, as well as your outcomes from treatment. BCAN patient advocate Scott Erickson, and exercise professional Mark Block discussed why and how to be physically fit during treatment, how to incorporate more movement during your everyday life, and how exercise affects stress management and mental well-being after your bladder cancer diagnosis.

View the Moving Through Bladder Cancer slides.

Hear about exciting new treatments and promising research to diagnose and treat bladder cancer with medical oncologist from Vanderbilt Cancer Center urologist Amy N. Luckenbaugh, MD and Kathryn Beckermann, MD who discussed recent and upcoming bladder cancer research advances.