Mom just diagnosed and already in poor health

We Live just outside of Boston,MA. Part of problem... mom is in nursing home recovering from recent heart attack.

The uro who did the biopsy said he got it all but i don't know how he could be sure of that???

Are there any major centers in Boston area? She can't travel too far right now.

Barb

Barb..first of all where are you located?
There are a few expert Uro/surgeons who have dealt with the older and more complicated patient. Dr. Harry Herr from Memorial Sloan...one of the tops ..might be one to consult.
Repeat TURBT can provide palliation, as well as a survival advantage in select individuals. Herr reported a 10-year disease-specific survival rate of 76% in patients receiving TURBT as definitive therapy. This was comparable to the survival rate in a similar cohort of patients undergoing immediate radical cystectomy.[10] Although this study was not designed to assess TURBT as a substitute for radical cystectomy, it demonstrates a better than expected survival for select patients who are ineligible for, or refuse, radical surgery.
He's a master with the scalpel and while this may not cure her it may give her more time. And i do mean getting a very specialized Top Surgeon at a top cancer/uro center.
Pat

Hi all - hoping to find some answers or more information to help mom make the right decision. We are very close and she depends on me to help her understand and choose.

We just got the path report back from urologist and primary care doc. 6/22/2010

diagnosis: ...high grade urothelial carcinoma with squamous differentiation and ulceration; invasion of detrusor muscle

I have done a bit of reseach in the past few days and none of it looks good for her.

She is not a candidate for surgery due to her other health issues. In fact both primary doc (who I have a lot of respect for) and urologist do not think she would fair well after surgery.
She is scheduled for a bone scan Friday 6/25 and appt with oncologist 6/28.

Seems all the sites I look at recommend surgery.


Mom is 74yo with pacemaker, parkinsons, cerebral anerysms (some treated some untreated - she is no longer candidate for surgery for anaerysms either)


Should we seek second opinion? Do we go for quality of life?
this is so hard. I sit here crying as I write so please excuse typos as it is a little blurry right now.