Choices

Oops sorry Mark..made the wrong guess.
There's one Uro at UC Davis who has a really great background and training plus he's a member of FACS...he does a bit of everything and probably more prostate but if you need to stay close i would pick him. Dr. Christopher Evans
www.ucdmc.ucdavis.edu/urology/ourteam/biodetail.asp?bioid=276
UCSF does a lot of bladder cancer but i know thats a ways from you.
My brother lives in Northern Ca up in the mountains of Guinda.....raises walnuts and does landscaping.
Pat

Mark,

I'd guess they want to first do a cystoscopy in the office but if your doc has sent them the CT, they may be able to go straight to TURB and skip the office visit.

They probably want to meet you first and have a look with the cystoscope.

The times vary but now that you know something is there, the sooner the better. A week to a few weeks is reasonable to expect but I'd try to sooner rather than later if I were you.

Mike

Thanks everyone for your responses. I live in Northern California with UC Davis and Sutter Health cancer centers nearby.

One question on urgency - my urology appt is 1 week away with any procedures happening sometime after that. What kind of time frame is reasonable to expect?

Mark

WEll its a no-brainer for me. Go with the large cancer center that firstly treats lots of bladder cancer...look them up on line and go to find a doctor..and look at the urologists backgrounds, where they were trained, what their particular interest is.....if its prostate..move on. I'm assuming you're female? Correct or not?
There is no way that CT scan can tell how far the tumors have penetrated..i'm a classic example of a lcm tumor which was already T2 and arising out of CIS and you never see CIS on a CT scan. You can determine any lymph node involvement unless its hiding..i've seen that happen also.
If you need help..tell me where you are and i can guide you to a excellent center..uro/surgeon.
Pathology is so important...there is over a 50% chance that it will be understaged at a local hospital.
pat

If you work right near major bladder cancer center, I would recommend getting the TURB done there. Even if your local uro has treated a lot of bladder cancer patients, it still is a delicate surgery. The major center will also have more experienced pathologists who evaluate the staging/grading.

Yes, treatment depends on the stage and grade. I posted a flow chart the typical path of treatment.

Go to this page: tinyurl.com/2dlt7w9 and then click on the link "Map of the Journey". Some folks have found it helpful to print this out and use it as a tool to talk about their treatment plan with their doctor.

Good luck. Keep us posted here and feel free to ask any questions you may have. That's one reason we're here.
Glad that you found us. Explore the site and the forums. There is tons of good information already here but don't be afraid to ask anything.

Mike

Welcome Haddy,
I allowed my local Uro to do the first TURB.
Once he told me the staging, and the path of treatment he wanted to take, I sought a second opinion at a cancer center.
You are on the right path. Everyone one here will recommend a second opinion. It's your life, it's your right.

Jim