Is what they are saying about actos (pioglitazone) causing bladder cancer true?

Unfortunately yes.: On june 15, 2011 the U.S. Fda announced that pioglitazone/actos use for more than one year may be associated with an increased risk of bladder cancer. Information about this risk will be added to the warnings and precautions section of the label for pioglitazone-containing medicines. The patient medication guide for these medicines will also be revised to include this information.

Possibly: There is evidence of an excess number of cases of bladder cancer in patients who have taken the drug Actos (pioglitazone) compared to what might normally be expected in a large group of people. Epidemiologic research in this regard continues, but it may be prudent for those who have taken the drug for longer than 1 year to be screened for this, especially in patients with other risk factors such as smoking.