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My father diagnosed with bladder cancer T2
Hello!
I need some information about bladder cancer (T2), today my mother told me that my father diagnosed with bladder cancer T2, and also they have already did TUR. Surgeons removed all accessible cancer during the TUR (maybe all, i don’t know)
The surgeon wanted to remove bladder but the main surgeon decided to try chemotherapy 1st, because we have 35% chance to cure bladder cancer with chemotherapy. Now we need to do 9 courses of chemotherapy, (3 courses 1st week, 2 weeks resting, 3 courses second week, 2 weeks resting, and again) starting tomorrow.
My parents was hiding all that from me, my brother and sister, and since my mother need support and i’m the toughest son, she told me all that. I hope i wrote everything correctly, I’m not from english speaking country and since my sister and brother don’t speak english, its probably the best to write here in english and keep secret from my little sister and bro.
It is very hard to speak with mother or father about that, but i will try to gather more information.
I was reading lots and lots articles from the internet, and i think i learned something. But i really want to know more, what can we expect after chemotherapy? What do you think about treatment and our chances?
And also i can’t understand the min thing what is that “five year survival rate”?
If we are fighting cancer we have only 5 years in the best case?? or 5 years if we don’t do anything to cure cancer??? -
2 Replies
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Thank you for the answer!
No, we are in Moscow. Unfortunately the TUR showed that the cancer has spread into the muscle, it is T2 =(( i will try to find out is it spread to inner (T2a) or outer(T2b) muscle soon…About chemo, the treatment has been changed. The doctor said that “We will do everything we can to save the bladder, thats the point of treatment”. So at this point we don’t want to remove bladder. We are trying to save it. But can we save bladder and cure cancer in our case??? Is it possible??
He (the doctor) decided to appoint 6 curses of chemo, 2 chemo per week with 2 weeks resting. (1weeks -2 chemo, resting. 4 weeks – 2 chemo, resting. 7 week – 2 chemo.) To be honest i’m not sure, is that enough curses of chemo?
If there is something suspicious or unusual about my fathers chemotherapy/treatment, please tell me. There are so many things that me and my parents don’t understand, maybe there are questions that we must ask to father’s doctor??
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So sorry to hear about your father. Is he being treated in the US or elsewhere?
A “5-year survival rate” is just a statistic. It is an average….many people live much longer. I haven’t often seen such a statistic used for bladder cancer….it is such a variable condition that it would be hard to lump patients together.
I am so glad that your parents shared this with you. At times like this the whole family needs to get together to fight. AND when you are a family member and are NOT told you start to doubt everything. Depending on your siblings ages, I would think that they would need to be included. I realize that different cultures have different attitudes and you, of course must deal with yours.
Often chemo is given prior to bladder removal. Has the doctor mentioned that this is the intent? If the cancer has not spread beyond the bladder, removal is a real cure. It is not the end of the world if the bladder is removed….many people live full and satisfying lives with a replacement.
Best of luck to you and your family.
Sara Anne
Diagnosis 2-08 Small papillary TCC; CIS
BCG; BCG maintenance
Vice-President, American Bladder Cancer Society
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