Health · Medical Research · 1 day ago
Women with bladder cancer often face delays after symptoms are mistaken for UTIs
In Australia, bladder cancer symptoms in women can be mistaken for urinary tract infections, or UTIs.
The symptoms can include blood in the urine, a burning feeling when urinating and needing to urinate often.
Andrea Harris was treated for suspected bladder infections over four years before she was diagnosed with stage-three bladder cancer in March 2024.
Experts say women are more likely than men to be diagnosed at a later stage, and women in Australia have about a 50 per cent chance of living five years after diagnosis, compared with almost 60 per cent for men.
They say blood in the urine should always be investigated, even when a UTI seems likely.
A GP and women's health expert says recurrent UTIs—more than two in six months or three in a year—should lead to further testing or a referral to a urologist.
Experts say better public awareness and investigation of ongoing symptoms could help improve outcomes for women.
Andrea Harris was diagnosed with stage-three, muscle-invasive bladder cancer in March 2024, four years after first seeking care for symptoms thought to be a bladder infection.
Experts say bladder cancer symptoms in women, including blood in the urine and frequent urination, can be mistaken for urinary tract infections or perimenopause.
About 3,345 bladder cancer cases were estimated to be diagnosed in Australia last year, according to the article.
The article says women in Australia have about a 50 per cent chance of surviving five years after a bladder cancer diagnosis, compared with almost 60 per cent for men.
Experts call for greater awareness and further investigation when women have recurrent UTIs or continuing symptoms, especially when risk factors such as smoking and age are present.
- Who
- Women with bladder cancer, including Andrea Harris; Australian medical and women's health experts
- What
- Late diagnosis of bladder cancer in women after symptoms are mistaken for UTIs or perimenopause
- When
- Harris was diagnosed in March 2024, four years after first seeking care; the article was published on 10 October 2026
- Where
- Australia
- Why
- Bladder cancer symptoms in women can resemble UTIs or perimenopause, contributing to delayed investigation and diagnosis
This story does not have two clearly opposing sides.
I'd have a seven-day lot of antibiotics, and I'd be good for six or seven weeks and then I'd start to get symptoms again,
Women tend to present later with later-stage disease, which is a real problem,
If a man shows up with microscopic, that is, invisible blood in the urine, or visible blood in the urine, we would immediately advance that person to further investigations,
Blood in the urine should never be ignored; it should always be investigated,
This story does not have a timeline yet.
- Harris's time to diagnosis
- Four years from first presenting to her GP with suspected bladder infection symptoms
- Harris's diagnosis
- Stage-three, muscle-invasive bladder cancer, diagnosed in March 2024
- Estimated Australian cases
- About 3,345 cases were estimated for the year before publication
- Five-year survival in Australia
- About 50 per cent for women and almost 60 per cent for men
- Recurrent UTI threshold for further investigation
- More than two UTIs within six months or three within a year
Sources
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