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6 years 10 months ago #53363 by heather79
Replied by heather79 on topic More questions
Hi Donna!

I'd be happy go lucky. Our high grade cancer can be dangerous, if it invades the muscle layer. That's why we're checked so often, because it recurs so often (I've had one recurrence so far, luckily STILL not in the muscle layer!). By staying on top of surveillance and treatment, it can be caught early before it mets.

Heather
Dx 5/25/2016, First cysto and TURBT 5/23/2016, 2nd cysto and TURBT 6/20/2016, Original tumor size (by CT): 7.3 cm x 4.8 cm x 4.8 cm, BCG 8/31/2016-10/12/2016,
Cysto 11/15/2016: Recurrence :(, TURBT (#3) 12/5/2016, BCG x 3 weeks, off 1 week x 1 year (end Jan 2018)
Cysto 4/5/17: NED!!

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6 years 11 months ago #53242 by Jack R
Replied by Jack R on topic More questions
Donna,

Ta is, of course the Stage (the alpha-numeric description of the cancer and depth of growth). Stage is subject to change over time. Grade is a stable description of the propensity of a cancer to spread aggressively. Grade is assigned by the pathologist who examines the biopsy material. The terms High and Low Grade can be further resolved into grades 1 to 4.

So, TaG4 indicates noninvasive papillary carcinoma with a higher likelihood to grow and spread than a lower grade. Because of the High Grade, treatment and long term surveillance is generally advised.

Remain Happy. You are addressing the cancer, you have a plan, and you are closely monitoring for any changes. You have care options if the stage were to increase.

Best,
Jack

Sourced Information

Table 6. WHO/ISUP Recommended Grading System
ISUP = International Society of Urologic Pathology; WHO = World Health Organization.
Reprinted with permission from AJCC: Urinary bladder. In: Edge SB, Byrd DR, Compton CC, et al., eds.: AJCC Cancer Staging Manual. 7th ed. New York, NY: Springer, 2010, p 497.
GX Grade cannot be assessed.
G1 Well differentiated.
G2 Moderately differentiated.
G3 Poorly differentiated.
G4 Undifferentiated.

Source:
www.cancer.gov/types/bladder/hp/bladder-treatment-pdq#section/_35

Grade: Bladder cancers are also assigned a grade, based on how they look under the microscope.

• Low-grade cancers look more like normal bladder tissue. They are also called well-differentiated cancers. Patients with these cancers usually have a good prognosis (outlook).
• High-grade cancers look less like normal tissue. These cancers may also be called poorly differentiated or undifferentiated. High-grade cancers are more likely to grow into the bladder wall and to spread outside the bladder. These cancers can be harder to treat.

Source:
www.cancer.org/cancer/bladder-cancer/detection-diagnosis-staging/how-diagnosed.html


See about MICROPAPILLARY BC from Johns Hopkins at:

bradyurology.blogspot.com/2014/03/micropapillary-bladder-cancer-i-have-it.html

6/2015 HG Papillary & CIS
3 Years and 30 BCG/BCG+Inf
Tis CIS comes back.
BC clear as of 5/17 !
RCC found in my one & only kidney 10/17
Begin Chemo; Cisplatin and Gemzar
8/18 begin Chemo# 3
Begin year 4 with cis
2/19 Chemo #4
9/19 NED again :)
1/2020 CIS is back
Tried Keytruda, stopped by side effects
Workin on a new plan for 2021
The following user(s) said Thank You: DonnaD

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6 years 11 months ago - 6 years 11 months ago #53239 by Alan
Replied by Alan on topic More questions
Donna,

Your case is very similar to mine, papillary, TAG3. So that is aggressive and high grade if I am reading your post correctly. Micro is something different and I know very little about that. I am not sure if that is kin to small cell or another type but, I have not read about any regular papillary becoming micro.

I am 9 years out after DX and treatment. I was terrified for about an hour to move on-and I say this only because we all process this differently. Some need a serious amount of time to deal with this. I figured all I could control is one day at a time and if my time was up, so be it, I was going still fight with BCG and changing a few habits.

Easy for me to say however, for most of us this IS treatable and treatable which I am guessing you will beat this too.

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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6 years 11 months ago #53238 by DonnaD
More questions was created by DonnaD
Hi, Everyone,

I have more questions perhaps you may or may not be able to answer:

1. I had papillary tumor, high grade, that did not invade muscle and did not met. My question is when does this cancer change to more aggressive? I am told by my doc that the type of papillary I have is highly invasive, highly proliferative, and highly metastatic. Yet, right now he said I am Ta. So, I don't know if I should be terrified like I am today or happy go lucky like I've been that past 4 months.

2. Does anyone know the difference between papillary tumor bladder cancer and micropapillary bladder cancer, other than the latter is highly lethal. I just stumbled upon the latter today and what I read is very frightening, yet my MD specifically said mine was papillary, which is bad enough, but seems more amenable to therapies than the micropapillary type.

Thank you,

Donna

Jan 25, 2017, diagnosed TaNoMo - high grade
2 TURBT
1 mitomycin C
4 of first 6 BCG

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