Thanks a lot Sara Anne,
your explanation helped me more. BTW, radiation and the chemo (cyclophosphamide of the CHOP regiment) that I had 22 years ago are listed among the causes of tcc. That's why it's scary for me. I love my bladder. I don't want to loose it.

From what you have reported, it would appear that IF it is bladder cancer, they think it might be transitional cell carcinoma, which is the most common type of bladder cancer. Your biopsy and pathology report will determine this. It is extremely unlikely that it is related to your lymphoma.

Unfortunately, it is possible and not uncommon to have more than one type of cancer in your lifetime. My bladder cancer came more than 10 years after breast cancer and had nothing to do with it.

If it is bladder cancer, it can be very curable. It is better, of course, to catch it as early as possible, but most cancers have been there a while before they are found, so it is very likely that yours, IF IT IS CANCER, will be very treatable

Sara Anne

Nicke, thanks a lot for the explanation. I am feeling much better now. I have more questions.

The exact words from the report say "there is a small exophytic enhancing soft tissue mass, which is suspicious for a TCC rather than lymphoma". I assumed it was outside the bladder because I did not know that lymphoma could grow inside the bladder. Strange thing was I had once a blood clot in my urine (like 1 cm spot) and next day I had a urine test and it was clean, no blood or cancer cells were found. That was in January 2013. Now I am thinking it's too late maybe. Thanks again

Welcome!

I am so sorry that you have to fight with Lymphoma and now possible bladder cancer. But, I am glad you have found this site!

First, I would like to tell you that you have not been diagnosed with bladder cancer yet! It could be something else, or a non-cancerous tumor.

Second, even if I am not a doctor, I think that exophytic in this case means exophytic from the bladder surface. NOT exophytic of the bladder. "Exophytic mass" have been used instead of "Papillary mass". The mass is growing out from the surface inside the bladder. Most papillary bladder cancer is superficial, stage Ta or T1. Superficial bladder cancer is very treatable.

I know, by my own experience, that the brain starts going thinking the worst possible when the doctor says the C word. My advice is to calm down and relax (even if I know you can´t). Not until after the pathology report is back after the biopsy (done during a minor operation called TURB), you will know IF you have bladder cancer, and stage and grade. Then you and your urologist can discuss how to proceed.

I have been a NH Lymphoma patient for 22 years. I had radiation treatments in both groins at different times. Last year it relapsed again and now I am in the middle of the treatment. So after almost all malignant nodes shrank they see an exophytic mass on my bladder suspicious of tcc. I will see a urologist for a biopsy. Does it mean that exophytic is stage 4? Because it's outside the bladder? What shoud I expect in this case?. The report says small and it was the same 6 months ago. Originally they thought it another lymph node, but it did not shrink with the treatment. I am a 66yo female. Tired of fighting cancers. My prognosis with lymphoma is good with the treatment options available now, but tcc scared me a lot. Any help is much appreciated.