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Trying to Understand Lab Report
My Father is 88 and was diagnosed with bladder cancer and had a TURBT procedure in Sept. 2017. At that time he didn’t want treatment, but is now considering a second opinion. He was told that bladder cancer can be slow growing at his age and didn’t want to spend his last days taking chemo.
His lab report states the following: 1.) Bladder biopsy, TURBT. A.) Invasive papillary urothelial carcinoma, moderately differentiated. B.) The muscularis propria is not indentified. Gross Description: The specimen is received in formalin and is designated “bladder biopsy, TURBT” and consists of multiple fragments of reddish-tan soft tissue measuring in aggregate 1 x 1 x 0.2 cm. The specimen is entirely submitted in 1 cassette.
I can’t determine from this report which stage of cancer he has. I would appreciate some insight.
Is this type of cancer slow growing? Would treatment be recommended for someone his age?
Thank you. -
2 Replies
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Thank you Sara Anne. This information is very helpful and encouraging.
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It would appear from the information that you provided that your father has a papillary tumor (one that looks sort of like a mushroom growing up from the bladder lining,)
It also appears from the word “invasive” that it has grown somewhat into the next layer of the bladder. There is no indication as to whether it has grown into the muscle since apparently no muscle tissue was present in the biopsy sample. Did the report mention whether it was high grade or low grade? Your father, hopefully with you present, needs to clarify with the urologist exactly what the complete biopsy report indicates.If the cancer has NOT grown into the muscle, and IF it is low grade it is likely that no treatment would be necessary. The usual protocol in such cases is for cyctoscopy every three months for a while to be sure that it hasn’t returned.
Hope this gives you some ideas of questions for the doctor. The primary questions as noted above are whether it is high grade (rapidly dividing and likely to spread) or low grade (slow growing) and if it has grown into the muscle. Age has nothing to do with this.
Wishing you and your father the best…he is lucky to have you on his team
Sara Anne
Diagnosis 2-08 Small papillary TCC; CIS
BCG; BCG maintenance
Vice-President, American Bladder Cancer Society
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