SUNDAY, March 14, 2004 (HealthDayNews) -- A new, free booklet that helps people make decisions about bladder cancer treatment is available from the National Comprehensive Cancer Network (NCCN) and the American Cancer Society (ACS).
Bladder Cancer Treatment Guidelines for Patients is available in booklet form and can be found online at the NCCN and ACS Web sites.
"The bladder cancer treatment guidelines, written in easy-to-understand language, reflect the most current information available, and we encourage patients to discuss the contents of the booklets with their physicians," William T. McGivney, NCCN chief executive officer, says in a prepared statement.
"These guidelines offer bladder cancer patients reliable, specific and easy-to-understand information, helping them take a more active role in their own health care and guiding them through the treatment decision-making process," Dr. Ralph B. Vance, national volunteer president of the American Cancer Society, says in a prepared statement.
Bladder cancer is the fourth most common cancer in men. It's a serious but treatable disease. An estimated 56,000 new bladder cancer cases will be diagnosed this year in the United States. Of those, about 15,000 will be women. About 8,600 diagnosed men and 4,000 diagnosed women die of bladder cancer each year in the United States.
More information
The bladder cancer booklet is available at the NCCN and at the ACS. You can also call the NCCN toll-free at 888-909-NCCN or the ACS at 800-ACS-2345.
