Hi everyone,
My mum has stage T3 bladder cancer/ muscle invasive and is about to start radical treatment.
she had a procedure to remove a large tumour from her bladder which was 2/3 the size of her bladder. They mentioned a bladder removal but due to other health factors they feared this might put her life in danger.
they said the other option was chemotherapy and then radiotherapy.
has anybody had experience of radical treatment for a muscle invasive bladder cancer including chemotherapy and radiotherapy? I have no idea what to expect for my mum, how she might be feeling after the chemotherapy which begins tomorrow, and how successful this is likely to be in removing the cancer from her bladder. They said the cure rate is the same whether you have a bladder removal or chemo and radiation, I asked the consultant why anyone would choose bladder removal over the other treatments and he could not answer me. I suppose many people would want the cancer out of their body.
if anybody has any experience of this type of cancer (muscle invasive) or advice on what to expect from her initial chemotherapy treatments and how well they might work, as my mums closest person, I’d be so grateful. I’m on my own cancer journey and so things are tough right now.
thanks a lot.
Hi Lizzie C and welcome to the group, although sorry to hear about mum. I noticed from the other group you have your own things going on so it must be a difficult time for you. I had chemoradiation for T3 muscle invasive. 6 weeks of chemo (Gem/Cis) . I tolerated it quite well but we know some people have some nausea. I went on to have 6 weeks of daily radiotherapy. This is painless but tiring. If mum is starting chemo tomorrow it can be a long day. She needs to wear loose and comfortable clothes. Some snacks and drinks and something to keep her occupied. Get her some good quality mouthwash to use regularly to help prevent mouth sores. She should be given anti nausea pills. These need to be taken as prescribed. These are designed to help prevent sickness. My treatment was ten years ago. Happy to try and answer any questions you may have. Best wishes.
