My father on dovitinib

The cancer that your father has is the most common form, and it couldn't get any better than stage 0. However, your father is experiencing what is BAD about this cancer...while it is Stage 0 (which means that it has not gone "anywhere") this cancer tends to come back over and over. It is notorious for this. BCG is what they use when it starts returning, but it isn't always effective in this situation. It is probable that this is why they have gone to a clinical trial of such a drug.

You will find, if you read a bit on this website and Forum, that we are always championing second opinions. We do it so often that it has almost become a joke!
But, seriously, a second opinion would seem very pertinent here; your father has a situation that could become more serious as the tumors continually re-appear, BCG has not been effective, and he is not doing well on the experimental treatment.

He is close enough to NYC to seek a second opinion at Sloan-Kettering, or Boston at Mass General, or Baltimore at Johns Hopkins. There may well be other options that would be better for your father's circumstances. At least he would know what options might exist.

I do understand that it is difficult sometimes when parents do not want to "worry" their children. But you are now entering a medical field and have some knowledge and advice to offer. With the cancer returning, this is not a situation to be ignored.

My thoughts and best wishes are with you.

Sara Anne

Don't quite understand why your father would be in a clinical trial of dovitinib if his diagnosis was non-invasive bladder cancer. IF his cancer is transitional cell carcinoma (also called urothelial carcinoma) (most common form of bladder cancer) there are very successful treatment options available. I know that dovitinib is being tried in many different types of cancer and I haven't seen anything that indicates that it has been shown to be effective in bladder cancer cases.

If your father's diagnosis is one of the rarer forms of bladder cancer, that might be a different story.

Do you know what the pathological diagnosis is?

Where is he being treated? This might be an excellent time for him to get a second opinion at a different center for bladder cancer treatment. There is a list of such places on our home page....just click on "New Treatment Center Findwer." Or, if you tell us where your father is located, some of our members might have suggestions.

Since your father is in a clinical trial he has the right to withdraw at any time. If the side effects are so uncomfortable, he might consider this and instead go to a more traditional treatment.

Transitional cell carcinoma can be treated very successfully.

Best of luck to you and your family

Sara Anne