Side effects from single MMC installation during TURBT?

I had my second TURBT a week ago, this time with a single MMC insertion. Procedure went well. Doc scraped further away from tumor site as well as deeper, this time in to muscle wall. Had cath for 6 days; only side effect (from MMC or ??) was feeling of general aches in joints and whole body that acetametaphin took care of. (Dealing with cath is certainly easier second time around but not my favorite thing:).

Doc called yesterday with path results: no cancer in muscle layer (yea!) but found more T1G3 in surface and submucosa in new areas scraped. So his "I got it all" from first TURBT was wrong. When I asked liklihood of still more cancer cells being left behind, he said "can not say".

He offered two options: bladder removal (which freaks me out) or start BCG in 3-4 weeks (which was our plan all along). He recommended BCG option (but I failed to ask him to explain his rationale).

I'm going to do the BCG but the news of there still being cancer after TURBT #1 and the possibility of there still being cancer cells after TURBT#2 with MMC was a surprise and a bummer.

I'm also thinking about changing docs to one of his partners (also Board-cert uro oncologist) who has much better communication skills and "bedside manner". Doc#1 is excellent technician with great knowledge but I and my wife feel that we have to pry info out of him and he offers it in a very neutral way with no encouraging words or support.

Anyone with a similar history or other thoughts => please feel free to speak up.

Thanks to all who read and participate in this wonderful Board.

Be well,
David

David,

I was fortunate and had the mitomycin installation while I was still under the anesthetic. First thing I remember when I woke up is my uro telling me I was hard to keep in the bed for the full hour - I kept trying to get up. Guess I was lucky. I've only had the one instillation so I don't know if this is normal.

Glad to hear that you didn't have any problems.

I like the picture you have under your username - my wife and I did a week on a river raft in the Grand Canyon two summers ago and loved it.

Ross

Dave, I also had that catheter in for a week and by the last few days, it WAS a PAIN! :'( Try to keep some lubrication going around the entry point, 'cuz it really does get irritating every time you move around and the tube moves in and out.

Had my second TUR yesterday at Hartford Hospital day surgery. This one included 40 mg MMC. No side effects; feel great (except for some difficulty sleeping last night - have the !*#$%$! cath until next Tuesday). In at 10:00 am; home by 3:30 pm.

Start BCG in 4 weeks.

Thanks to all for responding to my questions.
This board is great!!!

David

Hi David, when I had 5 tumors taken off they used mitomycin,( they didn't inform me ahead of time ) First day after turb played in the snow with grandkids, some pain peeing, not much, second day after went skiing, third day after went skiing but started to feel bad like I had the flu. By Tues was feeling worse so I called the uro, thats when I found out they gave me chemo. I was not a happy camper!
So did I feel bad because of the skiing (I skied easy ! lol) or because of the mito. Dr. said probaly because of the mito. It was just a yucky feeling like I was trying to catch something, didn't last long , day or two. I wouldn't have a problem getting it again. Rocky ta grade 2 taken off feb 2007, recure started in nov 2007 , took one small tumor off feb 2008

I experienced some bleeding and burning for more than a month following MMC treatment. However, the burning was relatively mild - nothing that I would describe as more than "uncomfortable."