tumor back already

Joey, Bladder cancer has a very high rate of recurrence some will have several tumors in a row and then will be clear for years, every ones path is different of course. The tumor you are seeing now potentially was there three months ago but was to small to see. The cells in your bladder have undergone a change that means you will always have to be on top of your rechecks the rest of your lie.

Having said all of that this is what you have to keep in mind. With proper treatment and rechecks the idea is to catch them early so they do not become invasive. Non invasive bladder cancer rarely spreads outside the bladder.

I do not know if you have had BCG or have had other treatment and I do not know what grade your bladder cancer is but this might be the time to talk to you doctor about what comes next. As always a second opinion at a major center that sees a lot of bladder cancer is a good idea to make sure that you are on the right treatment path if you have not done so.

I know this is very hard to deal with but I hope it helps to know that a lot of us have been there and are here to talk about it years later.

had it removed,, waiting to go back to dr on march 19th

Hi Lessie, I initially had the same dx as you did, low grade, superficial non invasive back in Dec 07. But due to its size 4 cm I started BCG. at my first follow up some 4 months later I had a recur of CIS (all the tests and some pathologist said I didn't). Since that time some 46 months ago and 27 BCG treatments I have not had another recurrence. Sometimes the treatments were rough but only for a short period of time but so far well worth it.

Joey

I believe that BCG is the treatment of choice when the tumors keep returning. It isn't really fun, but is not usually that bad either (how is that for damning with faint praise?) I, and lots of others in this group, have been through this and are, at least as of now, cancer-free.

Very good idea to make a list of questions and schedule a time to discuss these, calmly, with your uro.

There is a lot of info on BCG on this web site, and we are all willing to offer answers to questions.

Sara Anne

BC was first diagnosed in April of 2010. I've had 3 recurrences since then. Up until this latest TURBT, my urologist was not recommending BCG. Then after the biopsy results (superficial, non-invasive transitional cell carcinoma. No CIS), he changed his mind and decided that perhaps BCG would be the next course of action. We agreed to discuss at my next cysto on May 2, but I can't stop thinking about it and reading. So, I thought maybe I'd call him mid March after my vacation and discuss it further. I'm compiling my list of questions and wanted to hear if any one else out there does BCG with this kind of low grade tumor?

Re-occurrance seems to be a common word in BC topics. Once there, it's a life long monitoring process, with hopes of catching it early. My first 3 go-rounds each found new cancer. Quite depressing. But after the 3rd surgery, and BCG, the report was cancer free. Would be nice to keep it that way for a while. I've never heard anyone say their bladder cancer was in "remission". Good luck to you.