Looking for Information - Cancer travels to Kidneys

16 years 2 months ago #12749 by Caring Daughter
Replied by Caring Daughter on topic Looking for Information - Cancer travels to Kidneys
I am so grateful for all of your replies. I have been asked to initiate a new topic under invasive bladder cancer bladdercancersupport.org/smf/index.php?topic=1716.0 and have responded to questions regarding where my Dad has been receiving treatment to date. {{{Thank you to everyone.}}}

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16 years 2 months ago #12747 by Zachary

That's a fact, and I was under a bit of a time constraint when I originally posted so I gave a very condensed and incomplete answer. Wendy's is not only more comprehensive, it is more correct.

Caring Daughter, if you've lurked here a bit before posting, you've doubtless seen threads about the importance of treating your father at a facility that is not only familiar with bladder cancer, but is expert in treating it. Unless your local hospital is Johns Hopkins or USC/Norris or any of the other major cancer centers, it's worth a consultation with a physician who specializes in bladder cancer.

Oops, I see that Pat beat me to the punch on this matter. Dang, she's good.

In any event, your father may end up having a very good quality of life in spite of what you may be fearing. His life--and yours--is going to feel turned upside down for a while, and I wish you both luck and patience dealing with this.

Zach

"Standing on my Head"---my chemo journal
T3a Grade 4 N+M0
RC at USC/Norris June 23, 2006 by Dr. John Stein

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16 years 2 months ago #12746 by wendy
Hi,

With due respect to Zach, I think that there is a difference between "regional" or "local" such as your father has had, spread going to the upper tract, and spread to distant places, nodes, other organs aside from the urinary tract.

Upper tract TCC that has spread from the bladder (or who knows, perhaps even started in the kidney and trickled down) is usually treated with surgery and is very curable if caught at an early stage. I have heard of people getting their ureter or renal pelvis involvement treated by BCG but not if the bladder has muscle invasive cancer and needs to go.

It's very unfortunate about the perforation, but it can happen to the best of doctors. There is a slightly higher risk when this happens of spreading the cancer (single digit, according to one paper written on the subject), but it is not a "given" that spread occurred.

There is plenty of room for hope. TCC is a confusing and complicated disease. Upper tract TCC is rare, so less is known about optimal treatment aside from surgery.

Where is your father going for treatment?

You should definitely discuss this question with your father's doctor, as having it explained properly could instill more hope into what appears to be a hopeless situation.

Take care, and all the best to you and your father.

Dr. Michael O'Donnell from U of Iowa is a renowned expert on upper tract TCC, among other things.
Wendy

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16 years 2 months ago #12744 by Caring Daughter
Replied by Caring Daughter on topic Looking for Information - Cancer travels to Kidneys

Pat, my Dad is located in Kenosha, WI. From what I read, the closest top rated cancer facilities are the University of Madison and University of Chicago. That sound right?

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16 years 2 months ago #12743 by Patricia
Obturator nerve block (ONB) is a procedure that has been used by anaesthesiologists mostly for elimination of the obturator reflex........apparently your uro and anaesthesiologist was not up to date on this.
Get a second opinion quickly from a competent uro/surgeon hopefully from a top rated Cancer facility....Let us know where you are located and maybe we can help in that department..... Pat

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16 years 2 months ago #12742 by Caring Daughter
Replied by Caring Daughter on topic Looking for Information - Cancer travels to Kidneys

Zachary, thank you so much for responding to my post. You accurately described the feeling of being overwhelmed. If in fact the bladder cancer has spread to his kidney, is removing the kidney/ureter and bladder unlikely to be curative? Any thoughts on whether or not it would afford him longevity coupled with quality of life? Or would BCG or other treatment be a better alternative for quality of life without surgery?

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