MDT Meeting - What Questions to Ask

Hi Leo,I only had surgery so am probably not the best person to answer but I would want to know the type,stage,grade and location of the cancer.What treatment options are available,side effects of treatment/medication.The prognosis and likelihood of recurrence.My first appointment post MDT the urologist said I would need bladder removal and referral to a larger hospital.The next appointment was face to face with the surgeon who discussed the surgery and gave us the opportunity to ask questions.Hopefully the others will be along with suggestions for you.Best wishes Jane 

Hi Leo1 . Also ask to be copied in to the consultation notes. It is easy to forget or be confused at what you are told. Much easier to understand when it is written down for you. I have all my notes going back years what I can refer back to. Best wishes.

Quite normal not to be at MDT meeting. When you meet the consultant, go with an open mind. They might offer you some choices, make a recommendation for one course of action, or advise on the one option in your particular circumstances. Whichever of these is the case, you will want to know pros & cons, risks & benefits, then the likely future course of the disease according to the chosen action. Having said all that, you might be faced with more tests before a final decision is made. If there are options, you may be given time to decide. Best wishes.

Hi Leo,

I had a 2nd turbt about 6weeks after the first. I believe this is common/normal protocol to ensure and confirm biopsy results. Just thought you might need to prepare yourself , it was a surprise for me. My initial turbt was T1 G3 . I made the assumption that the 2nd turbt was to confirm it definitely wasnt in the muscle , because of its stage and grade. I hope this helps . If you read my profile it gives a time line

much love Angela xx

Thanks for the reply. The consultant said the cancer was G3PT1. There was no sign of cancer cells in the muscle taken from the 1st TURBT. However they wish to do a 2nd TURBT in 6 weeks, and take more muscle samples to completely rule out the cancer being muscle invasive. After that it will either be BCG or much more invasive treatment. CT can is clear. Some bad news on being agressive, but potentially better news on T1 if confirmed, and CT scan clear. 1st TURBT quite an agressive treatment.

That is gold standard, to have a second TURBT - you will probably find it easier than the first. I was in a similar position, offered BCG or surgery. Very difficult decision, but I went for immediate surgery for best chance of cure. I can understand those who prefer to try BCG first, but it needs to be an informed choice. Feel free to ask more questions before making your decision. 

I have two meetings next week radiologist then surgeon

is this normal or a done deal they want to remove bladder or do I still have options 

All depends on stage, assuming you are at least G3 to be discussing with radiologist & surgeon. With muscle invasive, there is often a choice, which would be radiotherapy plus chemotherapy or surgery plus chemo (before or after or sometimes both). Depends on various factors such as general health, kidney function & so on, as to what they recommend as possible/most suitable.

(I'm not suggesting it as a good choice, or even sensible to consider, but there is always the option to do nothing.)

When you have your meetings, you can ask about options, pros & cons etc. Best wishes.

No indication of muscle invasive at the moment…

Yes big decisions for sure. 1st TURBT was 16th December, next is 6 weeks away seems like a long gap, should I worry about that?