Hello Hogans.... To reiterate what Cynthia said, welcome to the forum. I have read your post with interest because as others have thought, this doesn't seem to follow what we are used to as being the more common treatment path. The type of bc will dictate the best way to proceed.
I did have a partial cystectomy in 2010, but only after a 1.6 cm tumor was removed via a TURBT procedure and diagnosed/staged via a path report. There is a big difference in these two processes.
- A TURBT is done, as you stated, via an instrument inserted into the bladder to remove the tumor, and take other areas of tissue if needed for biopsy. It is a short out-patient procedure and you go home in a few hours.
- A partial cystectomy is major surgery where a complete section of the bladder is removed. The bladder is sutured and you will have to wear a catheter during the healing process, which for me was almost a month. Your uro has mentioned robotic surgery which may decrease the healing time for the abdominal incision, but the bladder still has to heal on its own. I opted for open surgery which involved an incision from just below the navel to just above the pubic bone.
Partial cystectomy is most often recommended for a bladder adenocarcinoma, which is one of the rare types of bc. If your path report hasn't come back, I'm not sure why they are making that recommendation so soon. The fact that they mentioned some other small areas needs to be investigated as well.
When you talk to them again, ask for a copy of your pathology report so you can fully understand your diagnosis, and the options they are offering. Also, a second opinion is always a good idea.
I had my initial TURBT locally but when the path report came back, my uro referred me to Vanderbilt because of the rarity of my diagnosis in his practice.
I am glad you are here in the forum looking for information. The more you know, the more you can take charge of your treatment plan.