Treatment Plan Setup-Invassive Tumor

Hi Joe: It is so good you have so much faith in your doctors, that makes BC much easier to deal with, I think. I am off (100 mile trek)to my 4th (weather permitting) BCG treatment at Walter Reed Army Hospital tomorrow and so far it has not been so bad. I did notice a difference from week 2 and 3 though - a little more severe reaction.

My husband does not say much either but he constantly is "around", always takes his cell phone everywhere, even to the next floor of the house. He asked Army for permission to take me to each and every one of my treatments and appointments, so I know he is really worried and really cares.

Good luck Joe with your first Chemo on Friday, we will all say a little prayer and wait to hear from you on how it goes.

Take care BC friend,
Sandra

Well yesterday I saw Dr Malkovicaz and got my treatment plan finally. I was dx on 1/6 so it was exactly 5 weeks waiting which seemed like a frigging year. I gotta tell after getting the last 2 tests done the Bone Scan and CT Scan of the chest I was a nervous wreck but tried to keep busy so not to think too much. Cause these 2 tests are the ones that are going to tell you if the cancer had spread. Now the good news Dr Malkovichz told me the cancer did not spread to anyother organs or lymphnodes and it is a T2 tumor ( now I know the stage ) and this I had posted earlier that grew toward the top of the bladder and into the ureater. I posted they got this cleared up with using a stent to open ureater and my left kidney is now working. Now I assumed I would go to surgery to have bladder removed and I will but just not now. Also he said I should have no problem when the time comes to get neobladder as all looks good to do this and this is his speciality being on Dr. Weins team.

The way they are going to treat my tumor being the size the way it grew and into the ureater is this. The tumor is contained and did not spread as I mentioned he said in this case he has had the best success rate to cure this cancer by doing this.

I am starting Neoadjuvant GC chemo therapy this Friday. This will be done as follows. GC being Gemcitibine and Cisplatin.

3 Cycles

Wk1 GC
Wk2 G
Wk3 C
Wk4 ---

The way he phrased and I quote let's go in and mop things up since the cancer has not spread and keep it that way. He also said urologists have debated for over 15-20 years whether to do chemo first or take out bladder first. His point here was he could take out the bladder and he can do the neobladder but just say if he did this if after the surgery I would hit any snags meaning infection etc. as with any surgery anything is possible then this would delay the chemo. Now I have alot of faith in Dr. Malkovichz and his protocol is excellent and wife was with me and she is an LPN and the way he worded everything we both agreed with his decision here. As a matter of fact it was a coincidence he said he had a guy with similar tumor and symptoms and this fellow just sent him a thank you card he has beened cured for 10 years as of now.

Then he sent me to see Dr. Vaugn who is the Oncologist right there so I would not have to make another appt' this was super as they all work together. Just to give you an idea how nice these Dr.'s are and the whole team Dr. Vaugn also wanted to read my CT Scan of the chest as did Dr. Malkovichz. Dr. Vaugn did this and then came back to my room and said Joe I am going to run across the street to view it on another screen another words he read it but he was going over there to get another opinion. My wife and myself were sitting there beside ourselves how nice this was of him to do this to make sure so on just this one CT Scan I had 4 Dr's read it you can't ask for more then that.

All I can say now is no one wants bladder cancer but I have to say this again I am so glad I got that 2nd opinion and chose the Univ of Penna. No matter what came up with my case there --- there was a Dr. for everything no hospital jumping. Dr. Wein is an excellent Dr and I will tell you all this he has one heck of a team there. I have a road ahead of me now but it so mentally encoraging to know I am in the hands of some the best Dr's around. Not only are the Dr's great but everyone I have been involved with so far could not have been nicer to me. Under my circumstances this makes you feel secure and both myself and wife are pleased with everything they want to do. I have the cancer and have off the get go tried to focus positive to beat this but my wife also has been so worried though she says nothing I know her we have been married for close to 30 yrs and it is like she has the cancer also if you know what I mean. I know if it was her I would feel that. Best Wishes To All, Joe