Bladder Cancer

[livingwith]

Found within 3 months, pretty shocked! 68 year old female, never smoked. Had transurethral resection, and now await results. Any idea what might be ahead for me?
I will add more after appointment with urologist on 3/4 - Thanks, Jersey
...Read the full article

[morggejoc]

After your resection, you have to get examined every three months to see if it comes back.

Now. I had a doctor that did this 3-month exam using an optical viewing device like a telescope and a cancer grew up to the size of a golf ball right under his nose. He kept saying, like a mantra "I like what I see." Finally, instinctively I guess, I switched doctors and voila! The new doctor was astounded to see that large tumor. The problem with me (male) is that the tumor was growing in a sac inside my bladder and the new surgeon was afraid to break the thin skin of the sac while trying to cut away the tumor. He was not aggresive enough, or erred on the side of caution, whatever, and had to go back in and try to cut it away again. Too late now. Cancer cell division never sleeps. The cancer has invaded the muscle tissue and I am classified as a Stage 3 patient. I either have to have the whole bladder removed, or have a series of chemo/radiation treatments.

All Im saying is, make sure your doctor examines you with a video camera, at least every once in awhile, instead of just an optical exam. (They can process more patients faster with the optical device than with the video device.) It may even be prudent to go under another general anesthetic exam, I have been told by another doctor, to be absolutely sure the cancer has not reccured.