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Follow up after blatter surgery
I had two small tumors removed from my blatter stage 0 on March 10. I went back in for follow up three months later. Doctor said she did not think I was healing as fast as I should have. She saw what scar tissue but in the spots where the tumors were it didn’t look like it was healing well and she had a slight concern the tumor might be growing back. She doughted it was a new growth but she took a urine sample to check for cancer cells. I got the results back last week and no cancer cells. However, she said they want to go back inside this July to take a tissue sample for biopsy just to make sure. My question is how common is it for a reaccurance of stage 0 just three months after the tumor was removed? Yes, they shot me up with the chemotherapy drug (I forgot the name) during the first operation. Everything I read about stage 0 is that it is almost always cured. I hate to think it will keep coming back like this all the time. When I was first diagnosed the two doctors told me an examination once a year would be enough based on the type of cancer I had. I am just feeling a little confused by all this. Any insight into this as I have explained would be appreciated.
Thanks… David -
3 Replies
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I suspect that your urologist is correct and that there is scar tissue. However, they cannot be sure unless they go in and take it out and send samples to the pathology lab. My comments were more generalized….that it is not uncommon to have a second TURB for many reasons. One of those reasons (and not in your case) is that they did not get enough tissue to get a complete pathology report. Another, and most likely NOT in your case, is that they did
not get all the cancerous tissue out. And, as is most likely in your case, scar tissue has formed. But they need to find out!!You are doing fine!
Sara Anne
Diagnosis 2-08 Small papillary TCC; CIS
BCG; BCG maintenance
Vice-President, American Bladder Cancer Society
Forum Moderator
Thank you so much for your quick reply. However you stated in your reply that they may not have got all the tissue out. Do you mean cancerous tissue. I also think I understand all this much better now after your reply which is: even if they do not get all the cancer out on the first try, eventually they will?
thanks again!
David it is not at all uncommon do you have a second TURB a short time after the first. In fact probably more urologist should do this . It does not necessarily mean that there is a recurrence It just means that the urologist either did not get all of the tissue or there is scar tissue present . The second time the urologist has a much better idea of which areas need to be closely examined since the first time they were going in almost “blind.”
Your urologist is doing exactly what should be done . This does not mean that there has been a recurrence it probably just means that they want to be sure they got everything out .
You will do fine .
Sara Anne
Diagnosis 2-08 Small papillary TCC; CIS
BCG; BCG maintenance
Vice-President, American Bladder Cancer Society
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