Bob Schieffer's Battle Against Bladder Cancer

Bladder cancer is the fifth most diagnosed cancer in this country, killing more than 14,000 Americans each year. This disease has touched a lot of families including the CBS family. Tonight, Bob Schieffer shares his personal story of survival with Dr. Jon LaPook.

Veteran CBS News anchor and correspondent Bob Schieffer has spent his life getting the facts out. This time, it's personal.

"People don't like to talk about diseases that happen to you below the belt," Schieffer said. "It's embarrassing to talk about."

Seven years ago, Schieffer was diagnosed with bladder cancer.

"One day I went to the gym and after working out, I looked and discovered blood in my urine. I didn't know what this meant but I didn't think too much about it. I thought, 'well I probably strained myself,'" Schieffer said.

Schieffer blames smoking.

"I was one of the heaviest smokers. I started chewing tobacco when I was 16 years old because I hung around rodeos and played baseball."

The cancer can develop when carcinogens in the body pass through the kidney and wind up in urine. Over time, those toxins can cause tumors to form. Fifty percent of bladder cancers are linked to smoking.

Ninety-five percent of the time, the first symptom is blood in the urine. In women, that may be mistaken as a sign of menopause or infection.

"Many people simply don't know that it may be related to a tumor that's growing in their bladder," said Dr. Bernard Bochner, Urologic Surgeon, Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center. "So, understanding that this is a critical symptom that requires immediate evaluation may be a lifesaver."

Cancer can be found, and often removed with a thin tube into the bladder. The bladder can usually be saved - as it was for Schieffer. But in advanced cases, that's not possible.

That's what happened to the wife of Rolling Stones guitarist Keith Richards. Patti Hansen found out she had bladder cancer three years ago at age 51. Surgeons had to remove her bladder, but were able to make a new one - using a piece of her intestine.

Web Extra: Surviving Bladder Cancer

"One of the greatest advances in reconstructive surgery for bladder cancer is the ability to build a new bladder," Dr. Bochner said. "People can work, they can travel, they can exercise. They can live full complete lives after this type of surgery."

At 73 years old, Schieffer is healthy and speaking out on behalf of the Bladder Cancer Advocacy Network. A witness to history, Schieffer would like to make ignorance about this cancer a thing of the past.

"It's about what we can do to defeat this disease. That's what it's about." Schieffer said.

More About Bladder Cancer
Bladder Cancer Advocacy Network
American Bladder Cancer Society
National Cancer Institute: Bladder Cancer

[anmath]

My husband was diagnosed with bladder cancer two years ago. His doctor explained his treatment in detail. It was called BCG maintenance therapy which is immunotherapy. He is cancer free but is still having his checkup bladder scopes. I researched the treatment on the internet and his doctor is following it to the letter. The treatments are uncomfortable but it's better than the alternative. We live in Mobile, Al. and we have some top notch urologists that treat this cancer.

[ejhood]

Pay attention to the most subtle symptoms. While visible blood in the urine can certainly be a marker for bladder cancer, it is not always the case. Microscopic traces of blood found during a routine physical and some urinary frequency/urgency issues were the symptoms that led to my bladder cancer diagnosis.

I am an active 64 year old male who has never smoked and otherwise did not have any risk factors. When I was diagnosed in February 2010, I underwent a number of tests and procedures which revealed I had the more advanced form of muscle invasive bladder cancer. This diagnosis led to a more involved and agressive treatment plan including chemotherapy and bladder removal and replacement surgery.

Fortunately for me, I was directed to the Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center and the experienced and capable hands of Dr. Bernard Bochner. Thanks to him, I am well on my way to recovery and have an excellent prognosis. I have a life to look forward to and Dr. Bochner to thank for it.

[mike_mcgarry]

Thank you so much for putting this on the news! I am a member of the American Bladder Cancer Society www.bladdercancersupport.org and was originally diagnosed in 2006 with non-invasive bladder cancer. The tumor was removed and I had treatment but didn't do well with it. The cancer came back 2 years later and I had my bladder removed and new one (neobladder) created from a segment of my small intestine. I am almost 2 years cancer free now. No chemo was needed as it was still contained in the bladder.

Anyone with blood in the urine should get a referral to a urologist. Anyone diagnosed with bladder cancer should then get a referral to a bladder cancer specialist (most urologists do not specialize in bladder cancer). Anyone needing surgery to remove the bladder should get a top bladder cancer surgeon who performs 2 or more of the surgeries a week on a regular basis.

[mhoweth]

My Daddy passed away on April 7,2010 from bladder cancer. He started noticing blood clots in his urin around Christmas of 2007 and the doctor diagnosed it as a bladder infection and started him on antibiotics. He didn't recieve the official diagnosis until April 1, 2008. They did a partial bladder removal and he battled serious infections until June 2009, that's when the Doctors said he was cancer free. Then in August of 2009 he started having neck pain and on October 14, 2009, my 38th birthday, they diagnosed him with a tumor on his sternum - it was bladder cancer that had spread. He endured many rounds of chemo and radiation and in February 2010 it had spread to his brain, then by March it was in his lungs and his body. He had a rare form of bladder cancer and the Doctors said it was like it was on Miracle Gro. They've not seen anything like it. Leave it to my Daddy to have something rare. I pray for early detection and we are working very hard to raise money for research. Our slogan is EFF CANCER, and that's exactly what we intend to do. We hope to help save people from this terrible disease. Thank you for sharing the story, and I hope people realize that it's nothing to play around with, go get checked!

[lymanbeecherboy]

Bob Schieffer, whom I've admired for a very long time, has done CBS News viewers and website viewers a great service. Awareness of the symptoms of cancer, early diagnosis, and aggressive treatment dramatically reduce risks of long-term disability or death from cancer. Thank you, Mr. Schieffer! Thanks also from me to Katie Couric -- whose on-air colonoscopy quite literally saved my life by encouraging me to have my first colonoscopy, which detected a malignancy. Surgery and a course of chemo cured me. So know the symptoms and get screened. Your life may depend on it.

[lymanbeecherboy]

Bob Schieffer, whom I've admired for a very long time, has done CBS News viewers and website viewers a great service. Awareness of the symptoms of cancer, early diagnosis, and aggressive treatment dramatically reduce risks of long-term disability or death from cancer. Thank you, Mr. Schieffer! Thanks also from me to Katie Couric -- whose on-air colonoscopy quite literally saved my life by encouraging me to have my first colonoscopy, which detected a malignancy. Surgery and a course of chemo cured me. So know the symptoms and get screened. Your life may depend on it.

[c_l_m_]

My mother died of bladder cancer this past spring. The doctors missed her cancer until it had spread too far to save her. I implore all women whose doctors keep diagnosing a recurring bladder infection to question that diagnosis. If she had questioned the doctors and asked for more extensive testing she might have made it.

[cljjlk]

After seeing the segment on the evening news, my first response was to contact Bob Schieffer to obtain his advocacy for the American Bladder Cancer Society. I was very happy to see that the link to the site was attached to the text article. I advise anyone that has been diagnosed with BC or family or friends of individuals with BC to join our family network at American Bladder Cancer Society. There is a wealth of information and a large group of individuals for support at this organization?s web site. I too, was diagnosed with bladder cancer in August 2005 and have had five reoccurrences of tumors. I consider myself lucky in that my BC was discovered early and all the tumors have been non-invasive. Had it not been for the information and support at the American Bladder Cancer Society, I would have remained ignorant and fearful of my disease. Thank you Bob Shieffer and the CBS News team that put this segment together and raising the awareness of bladder cancer.

[cktirumalai]

It does help when public figures call attention to particular illnesses and their symptoms. Bob Schiffer's example underlines the fact that the earlier a cancer is detected and treated the better.
I believe Bill Clinton's referring to his colonoscopy while in the White House, where earlier presidents would not have talked about "below the belt" questions, and Katie Couric's televised colonoscopy raised awareness considerably.
Candadai Tirumalai

[Mikec2010]

I have it. My journey began in January with diagnosis and I cannot yet claim to be a survivor. I decided to put my journal out there for others to share.
The address is www.mycancersinceeveryonehastoknow.blogspot.com.