Experimental Drug or Bladder removal

fdooley
fdooley Member Posts: 1
edited March 2014 in Bladder Cancer #1
I have had bladder cancer for approx. eight years. BCG's has put it into remission twice but it just came back. Now I am offered a experimental program using a non approved drug or bladder reconstruction. I need some pros and cons on the removal process.Thanks

Comments

  • AuthorUnknown
    AuthorUnknown Member Posts: 1,537 Member
    #2
    Hi,
    I am a 49 year old female. I have had 12 surgeries on my bladder over the last five years. My bladder was removed in 2000. The doctors worked have on trying to save my bladder. Which at this point, I wish they had taken it a year or so before as now the transitional cell entered my body and went to my left lung. I finished chemo last month. I have never regreted having my bladder removed.
    I had my last two surgeries done at the Mayo Clinic.
    Please feel free to email me if you have more questions.
  • art
    art Member Posts: 2
    #3
    what is this experimental treatment?
    My husband is facing surgery or chemo radiation for stage 3 w/ lymphovascular invasion. after 7.5 years from dagnosis
  • ro
    ro Member Posts: 6
    #4
    art said:

    what is this experimental treatment?
    My husband is facing surgery or chemo radiation for stage 3 w/ lymphovascular invasion. after 7.5 years from dagnosis

    You mentioned your husband was diagnosed 7.5 years ago. May I ask what treatments he has had since that time?
  • tonyc
    tonyc Member Posts: 1
    #5
    I was diagnosed with bladder cancer in Sept 1996, I was 64 yrs old. I had one week of radiation therapy and then surgery to remove my bladder on 21 Oct 1996. I then had 2 weeks of chemo. I continued working for 3years after my surgery, then I retired. I am now 70 and lead an active life. I had a few rough weeks after the surgery, but, no regrets. Good luck. tonyc
  • Unknown
    Unknown
    #6
    This comment has been removed by the Moderator
  • dukers101
    dukers101 Member Posts: 14
    #7
    How did everything work out for you? Did you do the expermiental drug and if so what drug was it? My husband needs to make a decision as to have surgery or not for bladder cancer that is in the lining of his bladder and had several BCG treatments.
    Thanks
  • glassman44
    glassman44 Member Posts: 11
    #8
    dukers101 said:

    How did everything work out for you? Did you do the expermiental drug and if so what drug was it? My husband needs to make a decision as to have surgery or not for bladder cancer that is in the lining of his bladder and had several BCG treatments.
    Thanks

    Going through the same thing!
    My husband(65)also is going through the same delima...What to do now? He was diagnosed with cancer in 2006, had several treatments of the bcg, went on a maintenance for 2yrs; had a current biopsy in October 2009, and the cancer is back-contianed in the inner lining of the bladder. Our doctor referred us to Moffit Cancer Center for bladder removal. Our problem is my husband wants to know if there would be an alternative to the removal of the bladder? The surgeon at Moffit, said there were clinical trials going on with bcg and intferon, (used in the 1990's) and will not be approved for a couple of months, and could be our choice-but the removal would leave him cancer free....? Does anyone have an alternative proceedure that would work? We are at a cross-road!
  • dukers101
    dukers101 Member Posts: 14
    #9
    glassman44 said:

    Going through the same thing!
    My husband(65)also is going through the same delima...What to do now? He was diagnosed with cancer in 2006, had several treatments of the bcg, went on a maintenance for 2yrs; had a current biopsy in October 2009, and the cancer is back-contianed in the inner lining of the bladder. Our doctor referred us to Moffit Cancer Center for bladder removal. Our problem is my husband wants to know if there would be an alternative to the removal of the bladder? The surgeon at Moffit, said there were clinical trials going on with bcg and intferon, (used in the 1990's) and will not be approved for a couple of months, and could be our choice-but the removal would leave him cancer free....? Does anyone have an alternative proceedure that would work? We are at a cross-road!

    Do you know how the clinical
    Do you know how the clinical trials worked out? The problem I think with any of the drugs is that it may worked for a certain period of time but this cancer seems to be very stubborn and keeps coming back. My husband had the bcg treatments as well and its back. At the City of Hope there are doing Robotic Suregery which is less invasive and quicker healing time. I want my husband to go but feels the distanceis an issue especially everytime we would need to go and his regular doctor would not be able to treat him after. There are also 3 kinds of surgery that can be done but his doctor wont know until he starts the surgery as my husband had prostate cancer treated with radiation.
    What a terrible choice we have been given. They want to do the surgery in 2 weeks but I too am at crossroads looking for something better.Keep me posted, looks like we are both facing the same exact issue.

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