TTA

Sorry to hear you've had to join this group but you will find so much advice and encouragement from so many people who have been dealing with bladder cancer for many years and are still here giving others support when we are diagnosed xx I know it's very hard but try not to dwell on it too much try to get out walking or visiting a friend for a chat xx stressing about it can only make you ill and cause you more problems xx you are on the right track to get this sorted there is no more you can do for now so take care and look after yourself xx many will come to give you advice so you are not alone we are all on this journey together even though we never expected to be xx

Love Tina sorry forgot to put my name xx

The second TURBT is standard with a high grade diagnosis. Will give them more information to determine the most appropriate treatment. It may be immunotherapy into the bladder that they are talking about, rather than full body chemo. After you have had the second TURBT (which probably won't be as bad as the first) they will share the results with you & set a treatment path. I recall that shock of a high grade diagnosis, but it is still very treatable. Best wishes.

And my husband had G3 pTa and has had both BCG and chemo-into-the-bladder. He's just had another flexi today, OK so there was a red patch which means he has got to be checked again in 3 months rather than 6, but we had that last year and it had settled.

Do make sure you have bought a bottle of Robinson's Lemon Barley water before your next TURBT, drinking this properly diluted over a day or two is a great help in flushing the bladder and reducing chance of infection post-TURBT. It was a tip from my old GP and I know others on here have found it helpful.

Denby

Hi Suzanne,

It is shocking, there is no way around that! But the fact that they are thinking about chemo (and not for example, bladder removal) means that they think that the cancer is not invasive or is limited anyway. We are unfortunately all in this "trip" ... Some are more lucky than others and the TURBT + treatment stops the cancer. Others have to go through treatments / TURBTs for months, other years. The less lucky get it progress and they will have bladder removal offered as "treatment" ... It seems that you are at the beginning .. (2 TURBT ...) so don't get too worried: this cancer is very treatable and being positive helps! I am. I just finished my 6 courses of BCG. A percentage of people that have my exact diagnosis will clear the cancer. Another percentage will get a progression requiring "stronger" treatments.

All the best... keep us informed!

Marco

Thank you so much Marco

just waiting for second TURBT I think high grade and aggressive is what scared me. Thanks for your lovely support 

suzanne

Yes, I also was diagnosed with high grade (G3) The other important factor is the stage (I was luckily only Ta) do you know your stage? They should have told you a couple of weeks after the first TURBT.

Hi they said high grade aggressive TA 

Going in for a second TURBT and he spoke of CHEMO

OK, so if TA is the stage (like me: Ta, G3) then you really need not to worry. I am surprised they did not offer you BCG, which I was told in these cases is the most effective treatment. Maybe they did instill some mitomycin (chemo) at the time of the first TURBT (this is fairly normal)  and they think to repeat this instillation during the second TURBT? Or is the chemo going to be a several sessions course?  I would ask why I don't qualify for BCG treatment. There may very well be a reason.  In any case, it will be a local application (through a catheter). Again, I assume that "TA" you mention is the stage, which means that it is at the very very early stage, then there is T1, T2 T3 and T4 ... The statistics for TaG3 I read are 72% reoccurrence free (no regrowth) and 82% progression free (although the cancer grows back, it doesn't progress to "worse" stages, so further TURBTs and checks).

All the best!!!

Marco

Just to add to the above. Try not to get too worked up over the aggressive word (G3). Most people are. Very rarely do we see a G2 or G1. Second TURBT is just a mopping up procedure to check nothing has been missed. My follow up TURBT, I was in and out in several hours, and not nearly as severe as the first. Best wishes.