Equality considerations

Advice

NICE is committed to promoting equality, eliminating unlawful discrimination and fostering good relations between people with particular protected characteristics and others. In producing guidance and advice, NICE aims to comply fully with all legal obligations to: promote race and disability equality and equality of opportunity between men and women, eliminate unlawful discrimination on grounds of race, disability, age, sex, gender reassignment, marriage and civil partnership, pregnancy and maternity (including women post-delivery), sexual orientation, and religion or belief (these are protected characteristics under the Equality Act 2010).

Bladder cancer is more common in men than women; 72% of cases in the UK are in men, and 28% are in women. Despite a lower incidence of bladder cancer in women, rates of survival are considerably lower for women than for men. It mainly affects older people with the highest incidence rates seen in people aged 90 years and over (Cancer Research UK, 2015). People of European family origin have a much higher risk of developing bladder cancer compared with those of African American, Hispanic or Asian family origin. People with cancer are protected under the Equality Act 2010 from the point of diagnosis.