Radiation therapy

  Bladder Cancer in 2025: Real Survivor Stories That Will Give You Hope Updated November 2025 • 10-minute read Bladder cancer used to feel like a life sentence. Today — thanks to immunotherapy, early detection, and new targeted drugs — thousands are not just surviving… they’re thriving . Here are three incredible 2025 survivor stories + the latest breakthroughs and warning signs you must never ignore. 1. Mike D. – From Stage 4 to Ironman Finisher at Age 58 “Doctors said 12–18 months. Six years later I crossed an Ironman finish line.” Mike was diagnosed with muscle-invasive bladder cancer (MIBC) in 2019 after painless blood in urine. He underwent radical cystectomy + neobladder reconstruction, then joined a trial combining Keytruda (pembrolizumab) + enfortumab vedotin (Padcev) when it spread to his lungs. Complete response in 2021. In October 2025, he finished Ironman California Ironman — swimming 2.4 miles, biking 112, running 26.2 — cancer...