Bladder cancer mistaken for UTI, perimenopause in women

Key points

• Andrea Harris waited four years from her first GP visit for a suspected bladder infection to a diagnosis of advanced bladder cancer in March 2024. Experts say women with bladder cancer often present later than men, because their symptoms are easily mistaken for urinary tract infections or perimenopause.
• Five-year survival for women diagnosed in Australia is about 50 per cent, compared with almost 60 per cent for men. Specialists urge greater community awareness, closer investigation of women with recurrent infection-like symptoms, and referral to a urologist.
• Survivors say patients should push for answers when something does not feel right.