Seeking Some Advise and Support

moomaus
moomaus Member Posts: 8
edited March 2014 in Bladder Cancer #1
Hello all. I'm not new to this site but new to bladder cancer. I was a regular on the colon cancer board for many years while my husband battled and BEAT stage III with nodes involved right sided colon cancer. It's been 7 years and AMEN to that.

Our newest delimma is in December 2009, just shortly after his 7 year all clear check and scan for colon cancer, hubby was diagnosed, out of the blue, with transitional cancer of the right ureter. Surgery to remove ureter, bladder cuff, and right kidney was performed three weeks after diagnosis. Pathology report came back State I, fully contained, early stage, BUT grade 3....highly aggressive, which didn't surprise me seeing as how 8 weeks earlier he was all clear on a CT/PET scan. Urology surgeon indicated that no further treatment necessary except close follow-up because of cancer grade.

Fast forward to yesterday, April 15, 2010. Husband goes for his first three month check up and cystoscope of bladder. News not good. Found three tumors....THREE!!!!!!! He will have these surgically removed April 22 and receive, what I believe is BCG (?????) treatment the next morning.
We are also scheduled to leave for Europe on April 27. It is my understanding that the BCG treatments are given once a week for six weeks so how will our trip to Europe impact this? I would assume it is better to go once a week for six weeks than have one treatment, not have any for four, and then come back to complete the remaining five. Any comments would be greatly appreciated.

Most importantly, I'm not a fool and I know that having it come back so shortly after surgery is not a good indicator, but can anyone please give me some hope here. All comments, experience, advice, etc. will be so greatly appreciated. Please take the time to respond. Thank you. Monika

Comments

  • skd913
    skd913 Member Posts: 1
    #2
    Bladder Cancer
    I was diagnosed in Sept. 2008 with bladder cancer. I, too, had three tumors and had surgery the end of Sept. 2008. My doctor did a chemo treatment at the same time he did the surgery. In Nov. 2008 I began six weeks of chemo treatments. When I finished those in December of that year, I went in for a check up. My Urologist did a cystoscope and found another tumor. I had surgergy again the end of Dec. 2008. About two weeks after that surgery I went on a scheduled cruise and did fine (got a little tired). I finished my last every three month check-up this last January. So far so good. I go again in July and hope everything is ok. I don't know what is best for your husband relative to his BCG treatments. I know my Urologist waited a few weeks between surgery and chemo to allow some healing. The type of tumors I had tend to reoccur, so I suppose it is a matter of time. If they are caught early, they are very treatable. Good luck to you and your husband. He definitely needs your support.

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