BCG Treatment Journey

4 months 3 weeks ago #61768 by Alan
Replied by Alan on topic BCG Treatment Journey
Ya'll are doing well. I have learned it is "one day at a time". That is all we can control. When you are done with treatments you will appreciate life more and be better equipped to help others with life itself!

DX 5/6/2008 TAG3 papillary tumor .5 CM in size. 2 TURBS followed by 6 instillations of BCG weekly with a second round of 6 after a 6 week wait.
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4 months 4 weeks ago #61766 by Alkamodaddy
Replied by Alkamodaddy on topic BCG Treatment Journey
Thanks Eddie, for taking the time to research this and share it!  It’s definitely good info!  It will be quite awhile before we have 3 months without treatment, so I am going to try to not worry about it as much.

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4 months 4 weeks ago #61765 by EddieS
Replied by EddieS on topic BCG Treatment Journey
Hey Crew, Just a little info, I did some research about elevated PSA test results following BCG Therapy.  This elevation is very possible for up to 6 weeks following according to my Urologist.  This is from the National Library of Medicine.
Results: We observed elevated PSA in 27 men (75%) during BCG treatment, of whom 15 (41.6%) had a clinically significant elevation. Overall average PSA increased from 1.3 ng./ml. before BCG instillation to 3.8 during treatment (range 0.1 to 21.5, p <0.0001). In those with a clinically significant elevation average PSA increased from 2.31 ng./ml. at baseline to 6.97 during treatment (p <0.0001) and returned to 3.86 ng./ml. 3 months after treatment. Palpation demonstrated prostatic findings in 10 patients, including firm nodules in 7, while there was significantly elevated PSA in 5 with firm nodules and 2 with diffuse prostatic enlargement. Histological examination of the prostate in 10 patients was diagnostic for granulomatous prostatitis, nonspecific inflammation and benign prostatic hyperplasia in 3, 3 and 4, respectively, of whom none had prostate cancer.Conclusions: Intravesical BCG therapy is associated with significantly elevated PSA in up to 40% of cases. This effect is self-limited and PSA reverts to normal in 3 months. Therefore, we suggest that prostate biopsy be withheld in such patients and PSA monitored.

Oh Ya, Hey Rheako,  Welcome to the club, as Hank says, that nobody wants to belong to.
Hang in there everyone, we got this.  Eddie
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4 months 4 weeks ago #61764 by Alkamodaddy
Replied by Alkamodaddy on topic BCG Treatment Journey
Hi Rheako,
Welcome to the club that no one wants to belong too!  I hope your BCG treatments went OK without many side effects.  I also hope your scope goes well too. 
I was quite anxious about the procedure today.  As it turns out it went OK, other than having to dilate my "pee hole" to get the scope started.  Not fun!  But it was worth it as the doc said he could see no new cancer, just some scarring from my previous TURBT.  Next step is 3 BCG treatments in May and another scope in July.  
One concerning thing is my PSA was 6.51.  The Doc didn't seem to concerned, but concerned enough to order an MRI.  Hopefully nothing comes of it, but time will tell.  Keep the faith all!
Hank
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4 months 4 weeks ago #61762 by rheako
Replied by rheako on topic BCG Treatment Journey
Best of luck, Bill, please let us know how it goes. 
"@Hank, you are right, life will never be the same, but I am happy for every day I get up and my feet hit the floor." --- So true! I feel the same. Whatever happens from here on out, I don't plan on taking anything for granted anymore

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4 months 4 weeks ago #61761 by rheako
Replied by rheako on topic BCG Treatment Journey
Hope you get good news from your PSA and cystoscopy, Hank!

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