Bladder cancer return

Hello and welcome to the group, although sorry to hear your husband's cancer may be back. Red patches are very common. I have had a few false alarms over the years. If you type in red patches in the search bar above, you will find dozens of posts, and in many cases it turns out to be inflammation. They will probably need to do a biopsy to be sure, but if it does turn out to be a recurrence, the positive is that it has been caught early and could be dealt with. Best wishes.

Thankyou.  Let's hope you are.right. I am so glad I joined the group. My husband won't join. But I like to find out information  as much as I can. He on the other hand doesn't.  He is due to be admitted in the next 2 weeks for a biopsy. Last year his bcg was cancelled because of covid and was told he wasn't getting his final round of his 3 years. I emailed his consultant  to state his case and it was restarted. His cancer nurse told him after 3 years of treatment  and no reoccurrence he would be very unlucky for it to come back. I hold on to the hope she is right as she has been a bladder cancer nurse for 25 years so I'm guessing she seen alot. I will look at the posts about red patches and hope that it reassures us a bit. Thankyou again for your kindness. 

And dear Pip115, I like you am on here a lot although it is my husband that has the BC. Remember that even IF it is a recurrence, and even IF for some reason the consultant does not just do another TURBT and sail on with BCG, there is always also Mitomycin to fall back on. The procedure is pretty similar to the BCG, though some clinics like to give it using a heating gadget.

It has worked really well for my husband, who already had a new papilloma just 6 weeks after his 6th BCG nearly four years ago. At that point we had no idea that one could view BCG as like weedkiller, needing reapplication to control regrowth rather than stopping it for good, as I now understand from on here. So at that point we felt BCG had 'failed' and took the offered switch.

He too had a red patch at the cystoscopy before last. They just shortened the interval to 3 months again, and then it was stable or gone [I don't get to go in..] so they have reverted to 6-monthly.  

Hope this enables you to take a deep breath and get on with life while you wait to find out.

Denby

Thankyou. I still have alot to learn as I thought that after his 3 years of bcg treatment  if that didn't work he would have to have his bladder removed.  I didn't know there were other treatments to use before this radical step. He had the chemo after first diagnosis but because it is high grade it wouldn't work so he started his 3 years  of bcg. Any advise is always welcome. 

The dreaded red patches they have caused Mr W and myself sleepless nights on 2 occasions after his check up cystoscopy On both occasions they turned  out to be inflamation on biopsy  The first check was a year after bcg began the second after 3 and a half years Hopefully your husband's biopsy will be ok If it isnt as Denby says Mitomycin is available or there is also the possibility of further bcg Mr W was also high grade 

The shock is like being hit witha sledgehammer but altho it felt like the end of the world to us it wasnt Mr W has just gone on to annual checks That is a bit scary much as we are relieved Early detection of possible problems is a safety net 

Sending love 

Wilbertxx

We just feel like we are right back at day 1 again. 4 years on. Hopefully as a few.people have said the red patches are just inflammation.   I am glad I have found this group. I have noone to talk to really about this. I just get told to be positive.  So thankyou all for the advise and kind words. 

Pip

Mr W isnt and wasnt keen to talk about it Felt a bit like the elephant in the room Like you each red patch made me feel back at square one and wonder if bcg treatment was the correct decision This group has been such a help to me and I'm glad its helping you In the early days I found myself wanting to punch people who told me to be positive !

love

Wilbert 

I so want to punch people when they say it. Also feel like saying I wonder how positive you would feel in my shoes  having spoke to you has made me feel a bit more reassured. On Wednesday when they found the patch my life stopped again like before. I was thinking this is the end but talking to you has made me realise maybe the end is not yet and like you said the bcg can be used again. The consultant mentioned bcg but I thought because he had 3 years of it with no reoccurrence they wouldn't give him the chance but maybe it could be used as you said weed killer.. thankyou from the bottom of my heart. I'm so glad you have took the time out to talk to me. 

Pip

Any time. We felt that though the treatment has been good our [major teaching] hospital was not good on info, so this forum has been a tremendous supportive lifeline as far as I am concerned. I stay around I guess like others, to pay it forward by sharing the sort of info we would have liked/expected from the hospital but didn't get. Mr D's was 'high risk of recurrence'. The best thing they did was give us a Macmillan leaflet!

Our grandson was a babe in arms when all this started just after we moved house over 100 miles leaving behind our poorly younger daughter to help look after the grandson, and we celebrate his 5th birthday tomorrow. We have loved every minute from twice a week all day and toddler group, to now once a week school run and phonics practice! So the end is not yet as you put it. 

Best wishes, Denby

So have you had an all clear? They told my hubby that he wouldn't get one for 10 years. Hopefully the patches are only inflammation  so he may get to the 10.