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Bladder Tumor – odds of it being Malignant vs Benign
This is my first post to the forum that nobody wants to be on. I’m a 60 year old healthy (?) male who was just dx’ed with a 3cm BT via cystoscopy and CT scans. I thought that I was in good health up to this point even though I had previously been diagnosed with CML leukemia 14 years ago. The Leukemia has been well controlled with a simple daily drug regimen.
I’m scheduled for a TURBT procedure in 2 weeks, although I’m hoping to change Urologists before then. My current Urologist seems fine, but from what I’ve read, the skill of the Urologist in performing the TURBT can be important in staging the disease and subsequent treatment.
So I have two questions:
1) Has anyone seen statistical data on how frequent BTs are benign vs malignant? I’ve looked around and haven’t come across any data. The general sense that I get is that most BTs are malignant, but not necessarily a death sentence if it is non aggressive or otherwise treatable. I’ve also read that there are many benign types of BTs, but I’ve seen no data on how common those BTs are.2) In the San Diego Area, Dr. Carol Salem seems like a standout in treating BT and other Urologic oncology issues. Does anyone have any experience with her or other Urologists in San Diego?
Thanks for your time. I’m also grateful for this forum and those that devote time to answering newbie questions such as mine.
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6 Replies
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Cancerman,
The good news is it wasn’t muscle invasive! Focus for now is you are on your way to beating this! Albeit it will take some time but, you’ll come out of this stronger and more effective in life. One day at a time.
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.
Unfortunately the pathology report came back as – “2×2.5×0.3cm papillary carcinoma, non-invasive, high grade”. So I assume that this equates to a TaG3 tumor similar to Alan’s. Next course of action is 6 BCG installations 1 week apart. Oh joy!
On a brighter note the TURBT procedure ended up being much easier than I thought. Bleeding only for a few days, then again about 10days later after passing the debris from a small scab. Mild pain during urination for only a few days as well. I ended up taking none of the meds other than the antibiotics that were prescribed. The TURBT ended up being not a lot worse than the Cystoscopy.
Hoping you get a good report.
As to your question, I’ve been pondering the same question. I’ve seen data about benign tumors, but data says most are malignant, and I have to ask why?
Taross
Trusting the best outcome possible is yours! If it is bladder cancer it is treatable and beatable.
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.
Thanks Alan!
My TURBT is scheduled for tomorrow, so the long wait (~1 month from cystoscopy) is finally over. I’m thankful for this forum. I’m hoping for the best but preparing for the worst. Good luck with your treatment.
Welcome CancerMan!
I can’t help with Doc’s in that area as I live in Texas and I don’t remember any thread posters mentioning anyone particular in San Diego. The important item is you want a URO that sees a lot of BC whereas so many treat mostly prostate issues. The skill in the TURB is important to be sure “margins” are proper for a complete diagnosis. IF a first with pathology indicates a high grade tumor a second is often done to confirm “margins” to be safe. There is always a possibility of a growth that is NOT cancer to answer directly about being benign. After that your pathology will be the important piece of your treatment plan. Low grade is often “watching and waiting” meaning you will see your Uro every 3 months as a general rule for a year or two. High grade usually means treatment with BCG with is immunotherapy. Please peruse this web site for generalities on this. Also very important the TURB hopefully will show no muscle involvement as that often involves a cystectomy to prevent any spreading of the cancer.
Let’s not get ahead of ourselves. Waiting is the worst part. The TURB and pathology are the next piece of your puzzle and DX. Most of us also add if there is any question a second opinion is good if for nothing else is fresh eyes and peace of mind.
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.Sign In to reply.
