BSAP Bone Specific Alkaline Phosphatase

17 years 3 months ago #2870 by fightcancer
Replied by fightcancer on topic BSAP Bone Specific Alkaline Phosphatase
My father never had the BSAP, his Mets was discovered in a CT.  They found 3 lesions on his liver.  They then did a MRI and eventually a PET scan.  All this revealed cancer in his pelvic area as well.  His went straight from several bouts with superficial bladder.  The biggest thing I learned is that there is a type of superficial that is more likely to spread to other areas and that is Carcinoma in Situ (CIS).  Hindsight, there should have been more aggresive therapy for my father once CIS was detected because they never took his bladder out.  

I would definitely follow through with the bone scan and/or PET scan to check on Mets.  Good luck.

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17 years 4 months ago #2383 by Mike
Replied by Mike on topic BSAP Bone Specific Alkaline Phosphatase
Thanks Wendy for the response.

Mr C's BSAP is elevated and he is scheduled for a bone scan this week.

I am just questioning the accuracy of the BSAP. As you said elevation of BSAP alone may not indicate mets. I'll put that worry on the back burner until the results of the Bone Scan.

Thanks!

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17 years 4 months ago #2378 by wendy
Replied by wendy on topic BSAP Bone Specific Alkaline Phosphatase
Hi,

I don't have mets (or bladder cancer, for that matter) but have been part of a group on behalf of my sister for 8 yrs and have met many folks go through progression from superficial cancer. BSAP may or may not indicate mets, so further testing would be needed to rule it out, most likely a bone scan.
MRIs and PET scans are most accurate (more so than CT) in this setting for finding soft tissue metastases.

From what I've observed the most common sites of mets from superficial blc is to the prostate for men, or the upper tract for both men and women. This is known as 'regional' mets and considered a lot more treatable than if TCC shows up in the liver, bones or lungs. Chemo is used for both regional and distant mets and can actually work, too. Sometimes further surgery is done but only under certain conditions, or if response to chemo is seen. Most times cystectomy is not performed unless there has been total response to chemo.

We have a page about symptoms of metastatic bladder cancer here:
blcwebcafe.org/metatcc.asp

Hope you're worrying for nothing here.
Wendy

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17 years 4 months ago #2377 by Mike
I just read quite a few posts in this section of the forum.

You are all so brave and I wish the very best for each one of you.

Did anyone have an elevated BSAP before mets was diagnosed ?

Also did anyone have bladder cancer that was first diagnosed as non invasive but mets was discovered ? What tests did you have to accurately diagnos the spread and what area was affected?

Thanks in advance for your answers.

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