After Having the tumor removed

dpoe,

Doable means "you can DO this".

What Pat was asking is if the doctor got far enough into the muscle so there was good margins all the way around the tumor that was found. If not, there is no way to know if it deeper. This understaging happens WAY more often that anyone would care to know.

The doctors that don't get enough tissue to be absolutely sure are not running around acting like or looking like villians in the movies with giant handle bar mustaches and an eye patch. They look just like every doctor out there. It basically comes down to experience and skill. The ones with the MOST experience and skill for bladder cancer are at the top bladder cancer hospitals. That's WHY they are called the TOP.

You doctor said it was "superficial". That typically means T0 but you have to have the pathology report to be sure. The pathology report should indicate if there was sufficient margins to be sure that it didn't enter any layers of the bladder and was just basically sitting on top.

The T0 and T1 are indicators of the 'stage' of bladder cancer.

Bladder Cancer Staging and Grading

You still want to follow this up at a major cancer center. You should have another TURB done in around 6 weeks (at the bladder cancer center). This doesn't mean that anything is wrong with your doctor. This is just a standard thing that anyone with bladder cancer must do.

Mike

He said it didn't get into the muscles. I will get a second opinion. This doctor is really a great doctor and I don't think he was being secretive. I didn't ask for the report. I'll call the hospital who did it for the report. What is the T0, T1, etc. part of it mean?

dpoe.....why is the uro so secretive about the pathology report? You need to see it. You need to see exactly what the Stage is along with the Grade. I know he said 2......but you need to find out if he got any of the muscle for biopsy or not.
This report is yours.....you can get it by calling the hospital that did it and go sign and pick it up. If he did it in his office ask to get a copy of it.
Is your Stage TO, T1? And its a large tumor
BCG is recommended for CIS, T1 tumors, and high-risk Ta tumors (large, high-grade, recurrent, or multifocal tumors
A second opinion is always a really good idea..in fact its necessary by a TOP bladder cancer facility which i have already listed. Most doctors EXPECT you to get a second opinion.
If you can't find your posts just go to "newly diagnosed" and hit that thread and roll down until you find yours and click it on.
you really need a clarification.
pat

I thought I answered your last one Rockyiss, what exactly do you mean by doable?

Ok I went to my doctor yesterday. I couldn't find this sight. Anyways he said mine was a grade 2 superficial tumor. He said I do not need any kind of treatments. The size was about the size of a quarter, he showed me the picture. He said that just last week he removed a tumor double the size of mine and it was the same grade as mine. He said I have to go back to him every three months. I asked him how long he though I may have had this and he said maybe one year. I told him that maybe four years ago I went to my family doctor with symptoms of a bladder infections (no visible blood though). My family doctor said my I didn't have a urinary infection, but there was blood in my urine. My urologist got so upset and said they stress to general practioners that if they see blood in the urine and the especially if the person is a smoker, to send them to them. But my doctor didn't.

Hi Guys I am here to add my 2 cents for what it is worth. Do what Pat ,Mike and the others say, get a copy of the pathology report put it on this site and let the experts tell you all you need to know before you go back to local Dr.
I had a neg. c scan also , the dr took out 5 tumors told me as I woke up I had cancer. I had a mytomynicin wash. I was able to start skiing 2nd day after the cysto. ( dumb me ) I have had the sensation of having to pee all the time for many years due to nerve damage from lyme.
I left this dude and went straight to john hopkins and dr shoeingberg. Very nice dr answered all my questions, I have seen him for 3 years. Had one small recurr, dr s took it out. My brother also had b.c. he had one tumor taken out 4 times in the first year , no recurr for the next ten years he died of something else.
Please get your path reports and get more info from others on this site before you go back to this dr. It is VERY important you go in prepared. Oh and take a deep breath this is doable.
Today I went to the ortho dr to get my torn rotatorcuff looked at, as I went over the forms I relized I forgot to put I HAD bc on the history part of the forms ! Remenbered I had everything else and forgot the bc, now thats life getting back to normal ! lol Rocky p.s. keep asking questons these people are smart, upfront ,honest and will fight to keep you alive