Worried...

Dearest Rosemary,

You are so right.

The truth is deep inside my father and mother feel not so confident about this doctor, who seems a bit rough and not very clear and precise when delivering news or communicating with them.

The waiting list for biopsy/TURB is making these weeks devastating for their nerves with no clear diagnosis to hang on to.

My brother and I have found an alternative option elsewhere in Spain where they can get things done next week.

How far do you think we should push for them to go to this alternative place (a plane ticket away from where they are)?

Thanks again!

Gabriel,

It's really asking a lot for your Doctor to require your father to cool his heels until he finds the time to get around to him. I don't blame your father for being anxious.

It's the not knowing that is so rough on the nerves.

If this were my father and I cared about him, I think the most that I could do at this point would be to ask around...do some networking to find out what the Doctor's track record is like with other bladder cancer patients.

The pathology reports are the hurdle here. Once you have the results, then you will know where he stands and that is when a second opinion will become important. It's pretty standard with a cancer diagnosis.

Take care and let us know how we can help.

Your friend,
Rosemary

Thanks Rosemary and Pat for your comments and advice, which we are following.

The first TURB + biopsy will be performed at the end of January (we haven't been given an exact date yet).

The reason the doctor claimed 2 TURBS would be necessary: "the tumours are so spread out, the surgeon would loose the pulse if he tried removing them all in just one intervention".

We're hoping my father will consider pursuing a 2nd opinion once dates for the interventions are confirmed or - at the latest - once he obtains the biopsy's results. But we don't want to stress him out more than he already is (he's now even taking tranquilizers).

I will expand when I've got more info but any further comments are appreciated.

Gabriel...i would not be comfortable with this uro's prognosis on eyeballing alone....i would search out a top rated uro/surgeon who performs TURB's on a regular basis...one who is in a hospital setting 4 days a week...not one who is in an office seeing patients 4 days a week. There is no way by cystoscopy alone to know if the tumor/tumors have invaded the inner muscular wall. You need a stage and a grade and a top notch surgeon. Pat

Gabriel,

Hi. I guess my first question would be, do YOU trust the surgeon? Does he have a good reputation?

I personally never feel comfortable with any Uro taking a peek in the bladder and making a determination on cystoscopy alone. However, that being said, doctors seem to do this all the time.

It is two weeks until the end of the month. Does your father have an appointment on the books to get those tumors out of there?

Perhaps it should make you feel BETTER that the doctor does not feel urgency, but, I'm guessing that you and your father are most anxious to get this behind you.

The Doctor is recommending two TURB's? I've never heard of this, except that most Uro's nowadays WILL perform a SECOND TURB just to look for residual tumor...

Normally, I would say to get a second opinion, but that is kind of hard to do until you get biopsy results.

Personally, I guess I'm just not really comfortable with the wait. Not so much because of a chance of progression as much as with the attitude of the physician...

Let us know how it goes...

Rosemary

Hi everyone,

My father is 61. He had his first hematuria on the 1st of Jan 2008.

After a regular cystoscopy he was told to have numerous "finger-shaped" tumors of 3-4mm. of length all over the bladder, some even at the beginning of the urethra. "Two or more interventions would be necessary to clear it out", the doctor announced.

A CT scan revealed an inconclusive diagnosis: grade/stage can not be determined. All we know for certain is that the outer muscle has not been reached by the tumor.

He won't have a biopsy until the end of the month, because the urologist doesn't consider his case "that urgent".

My father feels he must trust the urologist's judgement and we (his family) want to support his decision in such difficult times, of course.

Yet, do we have any reasons to be as worried and doubtful as we are?

Many thanks