More than 500,000 people in the US suffer from bladder cancer. At the time of this report, it was the fifth most common cancer in the US. It is also the most expensive cancer to treat and frequently reoccurs. Despite the fact that the standard of care for bladder cancer has remained relatively unchanged for more than two decades, and even though treatment options are very limited. However, recent progress has resulted been made from large-scale genomic profiling efforts and newly identified genetic targets that may be therapeutically relevant.

With this Giving Smarter Guide for Bladder Cancer, the Milken Institute Center for Strategic Philanthropy attempts to tap into intensifying national attention on the disease and aims to empower patients, supporters, and stakeholders to make informed, strategic decisions when directing their philanthropic investments and energy into research and development efforts.