superficial cancers and the elderly

Wow...really..she's on Paxil and Klonopin ..thats a lot for an 80 yr old...that combination needs monitoring for central nervous system disorders as well as respiratory distress...and certainly the surgeon and anesthesiologist must be made aware of her usage ahead of time.
And Joe...trust me a epidural headache is one you don't want to experience ..kinda like an A-bomb going off in your head.
Pat

Amy I think your MIL should get the Tur and then find out what your up against. If it's small they may be able to get it while they are in there doing the Tur. Now if she had to go the route of the surgery then that is a whole different story. Good Luck With Your Decision, Joe


P.S. Rosemary with the epidural all they ever told me if they did not hit the right spot it would be the epidural just would not work. Now they never mentioned a side effect of a headache and after any surgery lol that would be least of my problems.

Amy,

The tumor definitely needs to be removed and for biopsy purposes. I do not think that the doctors would go forward if they did not think that she could withstand the anesthesia. The risk would be too great, I think. There might be an option of an epidural, but then you take the risk of her contracting a terrible headache if the block is not administered correctly.

Let us know of any further progress and if we can help.

Regards,
Rosemary

Amymarie,

You are very lucky to be in NJ. (I am originally from exit 100B "Shore Points" LOL) No matter where you are, 1 or 2 hrs. and you are in NY. I think it was a great idea to consult with her cardiologist. Sometimes it is quality of life. Is it worth risking it? How fast is the cancer growing? They usually don't want to work on someone that they don't think will have a good outcome. Don't be afraid to ask anything you want. If you don't feel comfortable asking in front of her, talk to them alone. Be specific. Don't let them leave the room until you are comfortable, and have asked (and had answered) all of your questions...

Good Luck to your family,

Karen

Thanks Pat,
We go on Monday for her to be worked up for the anesthesia so I plan to ask more questions about her risks then. We are in NJ and have a good local hospital although I am thinking we can have the results also read by a second pathology dept. like Sloan. I will ask her urologist about that. No mention of a CT scan yet, the procedure is in 2 weeks. My MIL also has pretty significant anxiety issues for which she takes Paxil and Klonipin so I think her doctors always try to keep things relaxed for her, but needless to say she is pretty anxious. amymarie

Hi amymarie,
Yes the watchful waiting is very specific relating to grade and type of tumor and should only be considered after a pathology report.
The TURB is a relatively short procedure and you're not under anesthesia for any great length of time. I would check with your mothers cardiologist and ask him if there are any risks to this and have him consult with your urologist. Its also important that you have a top rated uro and hospital pathologist.
Ultrasound not always definitive. A CT scan would show the lesion or if anything else remarkable was going on...
Where are you located? Pat