How does one know if you have bladder cancer

9 years 3 months ago #47753 by sara.anne
Replied by sara.anne on topic How does one know if you have bladder cancer
It surely sounds as if you have "been through the wringer" lately. I will try to answer some of your questions.

The surgical biopsy that will probably be done is called a "Transurethral Biopsy of the Bladder (TURB)." Under general anesthesia the urologist will take multiple small samples of the bladder tissue to be sent to a pathologist for analysis. He will try to take samples from the areas he saw during your cystocsopy, and will also do
his best to get several layers so that, if it IS malignant, they can tell if it has spresd into the underlying layers or into the muscle. Only after the pathologist has examined the tissue samples under a microscope will he and the urologist know for sure if cancer is present or not. This usually takes several days after the TURB.

The procedure itself is not terrible. Some people feel fine the next day and some take a couple of days to come back to normal.

IF you do have bladder cancer, it can be an easily treated disease if it is found early.

Best wishes to you and keep us informed about your progress. There are others here who have been where you are and appreciate what you are feeling, and we will try to answer any questions you may have.

Sara Anne

Diagnosis 2-08 Small papillary TCC; CIS
BCG; BCG maintenance
Vice-President, American Bladder Cancer Society
Forum Moderator

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9 years 3 months ago #47752 by Nicksmom
Replied by Nicksmom on topic How does one know if you have bladder cancer
Hi I am a new user, I am legally blind so pls excuse my multiple errors I eill make.I have been having frequent in fections over the last 2 yrs. ironically I lost my insurance right when the ER and PCP began feeling swollen nodes in my groin and having urine tests which were ng for infection but positive for bloiod and protein. The last 2 yrs have been just frustrating, painful etc. Then this past yr I lost 40lbs in 3 mo (I am only 5 ft and normal weight is 95 so this was near my halg of my total bodu weight. I founf a great free clinic and blood tests showed anemia, urine same thing. But there are no funds for multiple specialists etc. I finally got my MediCal back and got a great dr. he was super concerned about the blood, now in stool as well, 3 new lung nodules etcso went to a urologists I adore and a week ago he did the cystogram and found 4 tumors and asked me if I wanted to see (YEAH!) it was scary to see and realize these thigs are inside me. I saw a sguilly line goifn down and asked if it was a vessle, he said no it was active bleeding,When he was done he said I was going to have to have a second biopsy in an operating room under gen anathesia. This is where my questons come into play. He couldn't tell me anything it could be that was benign but could not of course tell me it was cancer before having all the gaccts I have seen in my wandering. I fould just one paragraph inan older med book and it said that the sec bx under GA in a hospital and when cancer or highly suspicous has been identified,Ny questins are Is this the test I have seeb in here that is done in hospital to type the tumors, check for invasive vs non by doing biopsy on the bladder wall? Do they check for spreading at this time? Do they do any surgical procedure at that time/I am frightened bcause I also have nodules in my lungs via CTS, but this time the 3 that had been there for a yr ir 2 doubled in siz and there was a new larger one on the mid left section or the lung (the others in lower lobes,I can handlr anything if I know what is happening. I cannot rive and without my coclear am deaf. I also have severe ostwoporosis (8 fractures in 4 yrs) and nerve dmg in var sites, This is not a rt of this illness I ahve been fighting for nearly a decade.I am sorry for all the misc. info. When I am nervous I tend to talk alot.Any awnser or just a greeting would be so greatly appreciated. I have no one, I mean MO I to talk to and it is just so so lonley.
My best wishes for good health for all. And thank you for taking time to read this.000

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9 years 4 months ago #47531 by sara.anne
Replied by sara.anne on topic How does one know if you have bladder cancer
You go to a urologist who will probably first look inside the bladder with a small camera. This procedure is called cystoscopy. If it is not obvious to him that there is a non-cancer reason for whatever symptoms you have, he will schedule a TURB (transurethral resection of the bladder) where he will go in and actually take small samples of the bladder tissue while you are under general anesthesia. These samples will be sent to a pathologist for analysis. This will definitively determine whether the cells are cancerous or not.

Symptoms which sometimesare suspicious for bladder cancer, and would lead you to consult with a urologist might be seeing blood in the urine or having repeated symptoms of a urinary tract infection with no bacteria present in urine samples.

Other diagnostic tests are sometimes used, such as CT scans and urine cytology (analyzing the urine for cancer cells) but these are not definitive. Only after a biopsy is taken is a diagnosis really made.

Sara Anne

Diagnosis 2-08 Small papillary TCC; CIS
BCG; BCG maintenance
Vice-President, American Bladder Cancer Society
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9 years 4 months ago #47529 by fighterm
Replied by fighterm on topic How does one know if you have bladder cancer
You need to do a cystoscopy. Also there are some urine tests that determine the microscopic blood and cancer cells. Another one is an abdomen scan.
More details are here www.cancer.org/cancer/bladdercancer/overviewguide/bladder-cancer-overview-diagnosed

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9 years 4 months ago #47527 by Nancylhm
How does one know if they have bladder cancer

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