Bladder Cancer Second Edition 2012
Introduction
It has been my privilege to chair the recently completed International 
Consultation on Urologic Diseases (ICUD) Recommendations on Bladder Cancer (BC). After over one year of intense interactive and enthusiastic collaboration with over 100 experts in various aspects of BC the
recommendations from the 10 committees were presented at the 2011 European Association of Urology Congress in Vienna on March 18, 2011. Each committee had a chair and co chair and they selected a broad based group of men and women with expertise in bladder cancer. This editorial will provide only some of the highlights of the consultation. The entire proceedings will be found in this book . The comprehensive nature of this text will serve as a superb resource for many years. Of note the first author of each chapter is not necessarily the same as the chair or co chair of the committee.
Bladder cancer is the second most common malignancy of the genitourinary tract. Its protracted course and requirement for frequent monitoring is responsible for the huge costs involved with the care of patients with BC. It has been stated that it is one of the most expensive cancers. It is a heterogeneous neoplasm and even within some categories there are significant differences in behavior among different histologic variants. These nuances are critical to proper management. Unlike prostate cancer the level of awareness for this neoplasm is quite low among not only the public but primary care physicians as well. This is one of the primary problems that leads to a delay in diagnosis which may adversely impact survival in men and women with high grade BC. Thus one of our challenges is to educate the public and members of the medical profession about the association of risk factors such as cigarette smoke and pelvic radiation with the development of bladder cancer as well as the need for prompt investigation of hematuria or persistent irritative bladder symptoms.
Editors: Mark Soloway & Saad Khoury
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