My Diagnosis - What should i do next

16 years 1 month ago #14029 by Patricia
Replied by Patricia on topic My Diagnosis - What should i do next
Rosie...In regard to Eoquin...Spectrum Pharmaceuticals out of Irvine, Ca Phase 3 protocols are open and currently recruiting patients in the United States.
Pat

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16 years 1 month ago #14027 by Rosie
Replied by Rosie on topic My Diagnosis - What should i do next
Hello Camilo,

The urologist did a through job by including a muscle tissue specimen in your pathology report. In my opinion through much research, there are countries more advanced in bladder cancer treatment than the United states. Often times the new recommendations and newest tested treatments originate from another country. A good case in point is a treatment known as Eoquin where effective chemical resections are done without the need for surgery (TURB). There is a write up on the success and use of this in other countries but the US does not presently allow nor is doing clinical trials for chemical resection. Presently, Eoquin is only being used in a clinical trial in the use as a one time installment after TURB. I would much prefer a chemical resection than another cut and burn surgery. So possibly your country has some innovative treatment that would not necessitate a trip the the US.
Your controversial friend LOL, Rosie

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16 years 1 month ago #14024 by camado
Replied by camado on topic My Diagnosis - What should i do next
Hi,

There was muscalr tissue sent to the patholgist and it found "no invation of the muscularis propia". I sent the guidelines to the Dr. And we schedule a follow up appointment.

I am scheduling a second opinion with a Uro-Oncologist but unfortunatly i live in a small country and even though our primary medicine is up to par with most countries in the world we don't count with highly specialized reference/university hospitals like the US.

Depending on the opinion of other Dr. I will try that possibility of traveling to the US. I will keep you posted.

Camilo




Triathlete 4ever

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16 years 1 month ago #13968 by wendy
Replied by wendy on topic My Diagnosis - What should i do next
Hi, and welcome,
I read an article recently about guidelines and bladder cancer, and the trouble is that nobody follows them, less than 5% of uros who were surveyed. What better way for uros to get educated than for patients to point out recommended guidelines and ask for them to be used?

As to your question about the choice between uro or oncologist, in an ideal situation the answer is a uro-oncologist. There can be many modes of treatment coming into play depending on things. A good pathologist is also a must, and uro-pathologists are only found in the top institutions. Second opinions on pathology are often recommended if there's the slightest doubt of putting yourself at risk of mis-diagnosis.

Understaging is common, as is overstaging, but of course the risk lies in missing a muscle invasive tumor and treating it too conservatively. The 2nd TUR approach can be very informative, tumor is found on the re-TUR too often with T1 tumors. Now it's official in both the US and Europe to do a 2nd TUR for T1 or high risk tumors.

Your doctor is following the guidelines when it comes to recommending BCG for a T1 high grade tumor, it is an excellent treatment if it works (and it does most of the time).

I wish you the best,
Wendy

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16 years 1 month ago #13966 by Rosie
Replied by Rosie on topic My Diagnosis - What should i do next
Cynthia, thanks for the link you gave for the new AUA guidelines for bladder cancer. It is important to note that the recommendations for a second TURB is advised when there is no “muscle tissue” taken to be analyzed in Pathology from the original TURB. So Camilo in answer to your question I would ask did your biopsy contain muscle tissue? If not, a second TURB is the recommendation before starting treatment. I see the new recommendation now encourages a chemo agent be instilled at the resection because Dr. Hall said, "It's thought that when you biopsy or resect a tumor, you can release cancer cells that can then seed other areas of the bladder." Sure makes sense to me. Mitomycin was specifically named as a chemo agent in this article but I know there are other chemo agents also being used effectively. I am so thankful I finally had one instillation of Mitomycin at my 5th resection last September.. The information contained in this article indications for treatment and/or the effectiveness with BCG and Mitomycin for low grade was also quite informative. Rosie

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16 years 1 month ago #13830 by Cynthia
Replied by Cynthia on topic My Diagnosis - What should i do next
Camilo,

Here is a good piece that you might find interesting it is the newest recommendations on returb from the AUA.

urologytimes.modernmedicine.com/urologytimes/Bladder%2C+Kidney%2C+and+Other+Urologic+Cancers/Repeat-resection-emphasized-in-new-bladder-cancer-/ArticleStandard/Article/detail/489172?contextCategoryId=9396

Chin up and straight forward

Cynthia Kinsella
T2 g3 CIS 8/04
Clinical Trial
Chemotherapy & Radiation 10/04-12/04
Chemotherapy 3/05-5/05
BCG 9/05-1-06
RC w/umbilical Indiana pouch 5/06
Left Nephrectomy 1/09
President American Bladder Cancer Society

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