Husband's Pathology Report Came In....

Dear Debbie,
Focally high grade means that when they did the slides of the tumor (1 tumor can yield multiple slides, and multiple areas must be examined) they found some areas of tumor which were high grade and some which were not (presumably low grade then). Since there was no invasion, your husband is being treated for a high grade non-invasive bladder cancer.
If this doesn't clarify things for you, please write again or PM me. We physicians sometimes have a great deal of difficulty figuring out which of the words we say patients don't understand.

Hi, Debbie -- Have you gotten additional information on the parts of the pathology report that were unclear to you? I'm sorry I can't help with the things you ask about but I hope you and your husband do ask all your questions until you get the answers you need.

I was diagnosed just about a year ago. I didn't find this forum until late last
fall. I am glad you found it sooner and I trust it will support you as it has me.

Please let us know whether or not you've gotten good answers to your terminology
question -- In support -- Susan

First, thank you all for your responses to my other posts. It really helps to share and you are all so knowledgeable, each with a unique story/approach to this nasty disease. After writing the first time, we went back to the ER at 1:30am yet again with a clot blocking the cath tube. Given how uncomfortable those things are, hubby said he'll take the cath rather than go through the pain of not urinating. Anyway, his pathology report came back today:

Final Pathology Diagnosis: Urinary bladder tumor, TUR: Transitional cell carcinoma; focally high-grade, no demonstrated invasion.

I don't know to feel about this. The "focally high-grade" throws me...he starts BCG treatments in March. Anything pop out at you about this diagnosis? The microscopic description evaluating a small amount of fibromuscular tissue said, "In this sample, there is no demonstrated invation into the fibromuscular tissue". Tumor size is 1.6 cc. "Totally blocked in one cassette A1"...whatever that means.

I did not go to the appointment because--like everyone--money is tight and there was a client call to make--he was just running in to get the catheter removed. Did not know the pathology would be back so soon or I would've went.

We appreciate your comments. Going through this, a good mix of prayers and faith along with common sense and hard facts seem to do the trick.

Warmly, Debbie