Home Forums All Categories Non Invasive Bladder Cancer Timing of biopsies following BCG

  • Timing of biopsies following BCG

    Posted by Flamenco. on July 30, 2012 at 10:28 am

    Can anyone advise as to what is the optimum length of time to leave from from BCG treatment to the taking of multiple biopsies for CIS? I finished BCG on 2nd July,
    my original ( private) urologist had me scheduled for Friday this week, to take biopsies in office Saw my second opinion urologist ( National Health system) Tuesday last week and he has put me on hospital waiting list for biopsies and allergy testing for Iodine ( to see if it is possible to carry out further scans). I am inclined to wait for the hospital to contact me for these tests, but with all the health cuts they are making here, am concerned as to how long this may be. Don·t want to wait too long, but neither do I see the point in doing it too soon, apart from the economics of the thing. Any advice would be greatly appreciated.
    Diane

    Alan replied 12 years, 6 months ago 3 Members · 5 Replies
  • 5 Replies
  • Alan's avatar

    Alan

    Member
    July 31, 2012 at 7:07 pm

    4-6 weeks after BCG to re-do a biopsy is what I have been told. You want the bladder not to “read” angry or inflamed and you want any latent bcg not to get invloved with the bloodstream.


    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.
  • flamenco's avatar

    flamenco

    Member
    July 31, 2012 at 8:36 am

    You didn·t panic me –” De-panicked “!!! I thought there was more urgency in doing the biopsies and was worried about a) doing them too early for the bcg to have had any demonstrable beneficial effect, and be classed as a failure, or b) waiting too long for the National Health service . I think basically I am still very much lacking confidence in the public system, but am also realistic about the fact that I cannot afford to continue with private care, if things become more serious somewhere along the line. Also I read and reread on here about the importance of getting a second opinion, and 5 years down the line I think it was time to follow that advice.
    So once again, thanks for “de panicking” me
    Diane

  • mmc's avatar

    mmc

    Member
    July 30, 2012 at 11:22 pm

    Sorry about that Diane! Didn’t mean to panic you.

    My uro tried that once to get tiny little sample. That is when I learned I have the ability to levitate at close to the speed of light and am pretty sure I almost hit my face on the 12 foot high ceiling.

    Any samples taken after that were in a surgical center. Different for some folks I guess. If they are just doing CIS checks, I guess that is basically surface layer anyway. Not my cup of tea!

    Mike


    Age 54
    10/31/06 dx CIS (TisG3) non-invasive (at 47)
    9/19/08 TURB/TUIP dx Invasive T2G3
    10/8/08 RC neobladder(at 49)
    2/15/13 T4G3N3M1 distant metastases(at 53)
    9/2013 finished chemo -cancer free again
    1/2014 ct scan results….distant mets
    2/2014 ct result…spread to liver, kidneys, and lymph system

    My opinions are my own and do not reflect the opinion of ABLCS or anyone else. I am not a doctor nor do I play one on TV.
  • flamenco's avatar

    flamenco

    Member
    July 30, 2012 at 10:53 pm

    Thanks for that reply, Mike, you have de panicked me a bit. And no, no piece of leather -have previously had a couple of biopsies taken in office and the thought of having several taken at one go has been really spooking me. Maybe the hospital will use some anesthesia?
    Diane

  • mmc's avatar

    mmc

    Member
    July 30, 2012 at 4:17 pm

    Biopsies in office??? Holy Moly!!!

    I hope he at least gives you a nice, thick piece of leather to bite down on.

    After BCG, you want to get some samples to check to see nothing is there and you want the urine cytologies. There is no urgency to getting it done.

    Mike


    Age 54
    10/31/06 dx CIS (TisG3) non-invasive (at 47)
    9/19/08 TURB/TUIP dx Invasive T2G3
    10/8/08 RC neobladder(at 49)
    2/15/13 T4G3N3M1 distant metastases(at 53)
    9/2013 finished chemo -cancer free again
    1/2014 ct scan results….distant mets
    2/2014 ct result…spread to liver, kidneys, and lymph system

    My opinions are my own and do not reflect the opinion of ABLCS or anyone else. I am not a doctor nor do I play one on TV.

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