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Ok i think i get it...Dr. is going to do a re-TURB next week right? Forgive my confusion...i can't attribute it to chemo-brain..I just can't sleep and my early dementia setting in! I've just never heard of external beam radiation therapy without the chemo protocol. Maybe it exists??
External beam radiation therapy is the main type of radiation used to treat bladder cancer, often in combination with chemotherapy. Internal radiation therapy, or brachytherapy, is also sometimes used. I know my father was one of the first treated for his prostate cancer with brachytherapy (seeds implanted).



External Beam Radiation Therapy

External beam radiation therapy involves a series of daily outpatient treatments to accurately deliver radiation to the bladder. These treatments take less than half an hour each, five days a week, for five to seven weeks.

3-dimensional conformal radiotherapy (3D-CRT) combines multiple radiation treatment fields to deliver precise doses of radiation to the cancer. This technique helps keep radiation away from nearby healthy tissue.

Anyway i am glad you are at a great facility and you're obviously a very intelligent man and i know you will question all options.
Pat

Karen, thanks for the tip. I am a bit concerned myself of the way our initial doctor described the severity of the cancer in the bladder. According to her, it was in too bad a shape to save. I guess next steps for me will be to wait and see what our new specialist says after the scraping on Monday. Good thing is that he sees the urgency in all this and is taking action quickly.

Mark,

If there is no metastisis...you should all still consider getting the diseased bladder out ASAP... to prevent further spread...did they give the surgery followed by chemo/and/or/radiation as an option? Believe me from personal experience...if we had the option for removal prior to spread...that bladder would have been history long ago...

Enjoy your good News!
Karen

Pat - the doctor did say removal of bladder was a real possibility even after or during radiation. We will discuss next steps in greater detail after the cyst. next week which will also give him a chance to see the extent of the cancer himself. Regardless, our main concern has always been the possibility of metastasis - we need to nail down what is happening in my father's hip first and foremost and then proceed with treatment and this we are all in agreement with.

Mark..just curious as to why the Dr. recommended the bladder sparing route which involves much radiation and chemo. Probably the most successful program here in the states is at Mass General Hospital but they will not take above a T2 and the former Grade 2 which is now considered low grade. Its a rather difficult protocol and if it doesn't work the bladder has to come out anyway. Honestly i'm not trying to rain on your parade...i'm happy that the diagnosis has been downgraded. Just ask the questions and how successful they have been with this.
Pat

Mark,

Today was a different day, and a different diagnosis. I don't think there is anything like having a team of doctors that you have 100 percent faith in and you believe in. I wish that for you and your dad. At least for now the surgery that was to happen has been put on hold. Now what was metastisis is maybe an infection if I understand you correctly. Whatever you decide to do now I wish you luck and I pray you will find the way with your dad..If you are still unsure about what your hearing
get to the bottom of it, until your satisfied.Prayers do work, How could you feel anything but doom when thats all they were implying,,,,now theres a bit of light ahead,,in one second visit,,,,take care, Ginger and Gene