Husband Diagnosed With Bladder Cancer Consultation Results.

Hi Lab lovers wifey . Good to know your husband has now seen his consultant. Doctors will often mention bladder removal at the first meeting. Many people though will go on to have second TURBT to double check and get a more accurate diagnosis. Some pain and blood is not uncommon, but if it does not stop or gets worse, then contact urology. If he has been assigned a CNS, then they are the first people to call. Important he is drinking plenty of water to flush things out. Also, always worth while getting checked for an infection at the GPs. Best wishes.

Thank you Rily. 

I would get his urine tested for possible UTI - this happened to me after my first TURBT.

Strange that Dr did not mention BCG as possibility - there are also some clinical trials around the country for MRNA style alternatives to RC/BCG. 

Do you know if the cancer is non-invasive ?

I can understand that news from the consultant was somewhat of a shock. Do you have a written report of stage and grade? Doesn't sound quite the usual options. If it is G3, then surgery would normally be offered as an option. Depends on the stage as to whether BCG is also a suitable treatment or not. 

As he's definitely having the second TURBT, the choices should be clearer when the apth results are in after that. Best wishes.

Hello Llw.  rily's reply more or less echoes my experience in 2018. Bladder removal remains as a possible option and I did see a specialist in Leicester during that year, after my second TURBT. Chemo was ruled out because a heart murmur was discovered during pre-op for the first one. BCG was never mentioned. A third TURBT is currently the preferred option, should it become necessary. Radiotherapy is also possible if other forms of treatment are deemed unsuitable for medical reasons (I had 2 weeks of medium dose to stem bleeding in 2017). Sometimes blood loss during a TURBT can make it impossible to get samples for the path lab, as was my case. I still don't know the grade of my cancer but do know that it was not muscle invasive from CT scans back in 2017 and 2018. However, I'm still here,  treated on a palliative basis since mid 2019. 

Like others have said, keep your GP informed so that he/she can monitor your husband's condition regarding the pain,  blood loss (blood tests) and UTI's from urine tests. Contact Urology as necessary...if you can get through to them!! Meanwhile drink lots of water (I drink 4 litres per 24hrs). Best wishes for a successful treatment path.

Thank you for replying.
I think they said that it was non invasive. I definitely remember high risk and not spread to anywhere else.

Thank you for your reply.

No written report and no stage or grade mentioned other than high risk and not spread. Do you know if the path results from the second turbt take as long as after the first turbt? We waited 5 weeks this time.

Thank you for your input. My husband telephoned the CNS today but had to leave a voicemail and not got back to him yet. I am trying to get him to drink lots. Thanks again it helps knowing other people’s experiences.

It’s a bit of a mystery…my first result came though in 37 days, the second in 2 weeks.Keep chasing your CNS in a very nice way

The wait can vary. I think it's partly how busy the lab is, but also co-ordinating with timing of the Multi-Disciplinary Team Meetings, where various experts discuss cases & advise on appropriate action. MDT meetings are usually weekly, so results might just miss one. Then they have to schedule a follow up appointment. 

We all want to press on with treatment quickly, but often it's not as urgent as we think. Always a difficult time waiting for results/decisions etc. Hope all goes well.