There may be points during the course of being treated for bladder cancer where you need to make a decision about what treatment to have.  These can sometimes be difficult choices to make and we would always advise you to ask your doctor, specialist or nurse any questions you may have.

Patient Decision Aid

However, we believe that there is not enough information or guidance available for patients when faced with such decisions.

In early 2016, we worked extensively with NHS England to produce a new, improved, version of the Bladder Cancer Patient Decision Aid which was, until recently, on the NHS Direct website.  This improved Decision Aid could be very useful to High Risk NMIBC patients and their families when considering the available treatment options and to help these patients decide what treatment to choose after their diagnosis.  It can also be used by your urologist or specialist nurse to explain the possible choices and help patients reach a decision.  

However, unfortunately, this updated version has not yet been implemented, and the old decision aid has also now been removed from the NHS Direct website.  We have not, to date, received any clarification on when this decision aid will be available to patients

We hope to be able to bring you news on this and are pursuing a response as to when this will be available for use, and how it will be accessed, whether via NHS Direct or through NICE or on another platform.

If you have any questions, or wish to be able to use this Patient Decision Aid (whether you are a patient or a health professional), please contact us on info@actionbladdercanceruk.org

Questions to ask your doctor or care team

At different stages in your treatment for bladder cancer, you may have many questions and you should always ask your doctor or nurse, or other member of your care team, if there is anything you are concerned about or you wish to understand better. 

We have compiled a list of sample questions which you may find helpful when talking to your doctor or a member of your care team about your bladder cancer.

Click here