My mom just got diagnosed

Kay I just had my surgery last week and the doctor said the tumor was approx 5 CM. The pathology report came back TA low grade with no invasiveness. Mine had also been in me for some time as my first symptom showed about 9 months ago. So what Rosemary and Karen said that even large tumors can be low grade and has not invaded even the lining of the bladder is true. From everything I have read from the great people on this web site, the low grade tumors are very treatable but must be followed up for life.

Joe

Kay,

When I was diagnosed, my best friend since 4th grade called me and told me that her brother had had a tumor removed from his bladder over 10 years before. After the TURB the Urologist told him that the tumor he removed was the largest tumor he had ever seen. I guess it has been well over 12 years now, and my friend's brother has had no recurrances.

You pose a very good question about the qualifications of your Mother's Dr. I was actually thinking about this subject when I woke up this morning. How much can we attribute our "good luck" to the skill of the Urologist who removes our tumors? I feel that my Dr. was very conscientiuos and he actually went in 6 weeks later to make sure that he got it all. My Dr. gave me a dose of Mitomycin C after the first TURB even when he thought my cancer was probably low grade. If I were you, I would just check around and see if you can get some feedback from other folks about Dr. confidence. I know it made me feel better when my Dr's nurse told me that if she had Bladder Cancer, she would want it to be my Urologist who treated it. That made my confidence level go way up!

BTW, I didn't have any of the risks either. In fact, one of the lesser known risks for Bladder Cancer concerns people who have low cholesterol. I just got a report back from the Doctor and my cholesterol is HIGH!

My very best to your Mother. She is lucky to have you for a daughter.

Best regards,
Rosemary

I'm sorry to hear about your mother Kay, but don't despair. Bladder cancer is treatable and even though it may sound like a large tumor, there is hope that the pathology will be friendlier than the size. Yes, the TUR means they will remove the whole thing.

Even large tumors can be relatively non-aggressive. And tumors can sit there for many years sometimes, and still end up being non-aggressive.

And many people with no risk factors develop bladder cancer. There is nobody to blame, it could be the water, or other environmental factors nobody can control.

If you have doubts that the uro is a well qualified one, second opinions can't hurt. Uro-oncologists are hard to find outside a cancer center. But it is the pathology that is just as -if not more- important. Is it a good lab? It's a subjective test that can differ between pathologists. Sometimes its more important to have a second opinion on pathology. Wait and see what those results are.

I have known other women with tumors just as large, who had them removed and are doing fine many years later. Let's hope your mother falls into that category. There is a good chance that she will.

Please keep us posted.
Wendy

This is my first time here and my mother just found out she has an orange sized tumor in her bladder. She is 64 and has never smoked or drank or worked around chemicals. She is a Sunday School and English teacher in good health at this point. Her Uroligist is setting her up for a Transurethral Bladder Tumer Resection. Does this mean they take the whole tumor out? Also should I get a second opinion before this proceedure and how do I know this doc can perform this procedure as well as some other doc? The doc said this tumor has been growing for a year I'm very worried.

Thank anyone for any help you may give :'(