After BCG... recurrence

8 years 10 months ago #48779 by DougG
Replied by DougG on topic After BCG... recurrence
Yes! And sometimes, it takes more sets of the BCG treatments. Doug has had 5 reoccurences and has been cancer free for about 6 years now, so don't give up...and waiting a few weeks for the surgery is okay. No more kicking yourself for that one, OK?

Anita (Doug's caregiver)

Anita
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The following user(s) said Thank You: gchang817

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8 years 10 months ago #48777 by Alan
Replied by Alan on topic After BCG... recurrence
As Sara Anne said a major cancer center should be able to figure whatever the next step should be as all cases have little nuances and differences. BCG often in a second round has interferon added, so that may be an option.

DX 5/6/2008 TAG3 papillary tumor .5 CM in size. 2 TURBS followed by 6 instillations of BCG weekly with a second round of 6 after a 6 week wait.

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8 years 10 months ago #48773 by sara.anne
Replied by sara.anne on topic After BCG... recurrence
So sorry to hear about your uncle's recurrence. This is not uncommon. Since he tolerated BCG so well the last time, this would appear to be the best, if not the only, viable option at this point. If he is being treated at a place like MSK they should know what to do now.

Best of luck to him, and to you.

Sara Anne

Diagnosis 2-08 Small papillary TCC; CIS
BCG; BCG maintenance
Vice-President, American Bladder Cancer Society
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8 years 10 months ago #48772 by gchang817
After BCG... recurrence was created by gchang817
I am caretaker for my 83 year old uncle who made it through treatments for gastric lymphoma (last treatment in Feb 2014). He is being treated at a major cancer center in New York He was being monitored for gastric cancer, but they believe that it is just scar tissue from the lymphoma. He has made a remarkable recovery, gaining back 50lbs that he lost through disease and treatment. During follow up CT scans, a .5 cm spot appeared in May of 2014. They followed up and the spot grew to 1.8 x 1.3 cm in November. They setup a meeting with urologist and setup a TURBT that was completed in January 2015. Pathology report read:

- Left posterior bladder wall (in Hanks'(, TURB
- tumor type: non-invasive urothelial carcinoma
- histologic grade: high grade
- pattern of growth of the non-invasive component: papillary with prominent inverted growth pattern
- local invasion: no definite invasion is identified
- muscularis propria is not involved

Five weeks after TURBT he started BCG treatments and made it through all 6 treatments. Only on treatment number 4 did he feel any side effect (chills and nausea with no fever). We waited 5 weeks and had a cystoscopy (which was last week). There was a 3-4mm tumor near the bladder exit. We are setup for another TURBT on May 29. They had offered and appointment for this week but we didn't think we could make all the pre-surgical appointments (im kicking myself for this because we probably could have made it work, I want this thing out as quick as possible. The urologist said it is probably a tumor, it sure appeared to be on the screen, I was with him during the procedure. He said a second course of BCG may be an option, and sometimes it takes that second course of BCG in order for it to work, has anyone had any success with a second course of BCG? I know he is older, but he is very resilient and is enjoying a good quality of life. I do not believe that a RC would be likely given his age, but who knows. Any input on what steps might be next or what we might look into? Waiting on the pathology is nerve wracking.

Thank you for reading this far, any input is appreciated.

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