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82-year-old mother with CIS and question BCG

7 years 7 months ago #51882 by Gibsongal57
Replied by Gibsongal57 on topic 82-year-old mother with CIS and question BCG
Thank you so much for responding. The travel and voiding issue will definitely be discussed as Mother lives 45 minutes from the dr. She has decided to try the treatments and we pray she can handle them. Thank you for your support. My father is doing reasonably well. The radiation zapped him of energy and any taste buds. He says he wouldn't have gone through it if he had known how bad it would be. He has an upcoming PET scan and we hope he gets an all clear. So nice of you to inquire about my father. Take good care.

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7 years 7 months ago #51878 by MadLove
Replied by MadLove on topic 82-year-old mother with CIS and question BCG
Dear Gibsongal57,

The forum is a great place for caregivers and their loved ones who are members of the BC club. I'm sorry that you are dealing with cancer concerns of both your parents and hope your father's recovery is going well.

My husband was diagnosed with CIS and has received BCG treatments. It's a 2 hour drive to the doctor's. He generally receives BCG and we begin our trip home before he has voided the BCG.

Typically there is an interval of time after receiving BCG when voided urine needs to be treated with bleach. His strategy is to use a travel urinal which is later emptied and bleached at home.

Depending on travel time, you might want to strategize on how a travel rest stop would be handled for your Mom.

The forum is here for you. Stay strong and keep posting.
Husband's journey:
01/2015 1st cystoscopy
03&04/2015 TURBTs-CIS
07/2015 Finished BCGx6
08/2015 biopsy-BENIGN!
10/2015 Finished BCGx3
12/2015 Cysto, redness
01/2016 TURBT, Benign
04/2016 Cysto
05/2016 Finished BCGx3
07&11/2016 Cysto's
1/2017 Finished BCGx3
2/2017 Cysto, redness
3/2017 TURBT, Cysto due 9/2017

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7 years 7 months ago #51877 by Gibsongal57
Replied by Gibsongal57 on topic 82-year-old mother with CIS and question BCG
Thank you, Jack, for responding. We will do our best to make sure her dr and nurses consider her age/frailty and to be prepared to offer her side effect relief should she need it. We are so thankful for this forum, as it has helped to educate us as well as confirm the best course of action. The best to you in your struggle with this cancer.
The following user(s) said Thank You: Jack R

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7 years 7 months ago #51876 by Gibsongal57
Replied by Gibsongal57 on topic 82-year-old mother with CIS and question BCG
Thank you so much for responding. We will address her issues with her dr and nurses in hopes that they will be prepared to help her with possible side effects. I have found her doctors are very reluctant to prescribe pain relievers that really help, possibly due to her age, and I feel it would be a comfort to her if she knew she had good pain relief should she need it.

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7 years 7 months ago #51875 by Gibsongal57
Replied by Gibsongal57 on topic 82-year-old mother with CIS and question BCG
Yes Sara Anne the CIS was found on pathology after the recent cystoscope with TURB, so it was confirmed by tissue evaluation. Thank you for responding and I believe my mother is leaning towards getting the treatment.

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7 years 7 months ago #51873 by sara.anne
Replied by sara.anne on topic 82-year-old mother with CIS and question BCG
Did I understand the situation correctly....there were abnormal cells in the urine, but CIS was NOT found during the TURB ("scraping/biopsy")?
IF THIS IS THE CASE, I would suggest that you seek a second opinion at a place that sees a LOT of bladder cancer cases. Urine cytology tests are notorious for being VERY sensitive...that is that they do find cancer, but they also "find" it when it is not there. They usually indicate that further tests, for example, the TURB be done to confirm that cancer is indeed there.

If CIS is present, it is a high grade cancer and needs treatment. But especially in your mother's case you would want to be sure that it is present. So, again, if the only diagnostic test that was positive was urine cytology, I would urge you to get a second opinion ASAP. If CIS showed up in any other way, from a tissue biopsy, than yes, BCG is the only option.

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