Are many tumors benign?

[Cliff K]

Hi everyone! New here.
Thought I’d start by telling a bit of how I got to this stage and what’s coming up for me.
I am a male, 45 yrs old. Have had issues urinating since February this year. Pain/burning while urinating, increased frequency, at times have trouble even getting the urine to come out and requires patience and much grimacing from the pain to relax enough to finally get it out (doesn’t happen every day but when it does it’s unpleasant!). No blood.
Went to a clinic initially, tests run for UTI all came back negative. I was also put on antibiotics and they didn’t help. As time passed the symptoms did not go away. Saw my GP who then referred me to my urologist.

June 30th saw urologist. He stated he wasn’t too concerned about my situation and suggested we wait til the fall to follow up and perhaps at that time, if symptoms didn’t go away, that we then consider a cystoscopy. I thought that would be appropriate and agreed. A week went by and the symptoms seem to worsen so I called the urologist’s office and requested the administrative person schedule me in for a cystoscopy. Things just didn’t feel right to me. I was booked for August 27 for cystoscopy.

Aug 27 – cystoscopy took place and doc had me look at the tv screen as he pointed out a lesion on the posterior wall of my bladder. He stated at that time they would schedule to go in and have the tumor taken out. They asked me during the procedure whether I smoke. I replied I hadn’t smoked since I was 23 when at that time I had smoked for 5 yrs and was smoking a pack a day.
As I left the room after the cystoscopy the nurse/aid pulled me aside and stated that cancerous tumors in the bladder can be directly related to smoking whether one was a current or previous smoker. I was shocked to hear this! I had no idea!

I am scheduled for resection TURBT on October 9th, my birthday of all days!! Was told that pathology results would come back 10 days to 2 weeks post op.

Now I have read much information through research but of course questions come up. My understanding is that the chance of a bladder tumor being benign is very slim. My urologist confirmed that the majority of the tumors are cancerous.
During my cystoscopy I had asked about my prostate mainly because we have a history of breast and prostate cancer in our family and the gene for these 2 cancers run together. Anyway, doc confirmed that the prostate looked normal. The UTI was is not a factor either so my question is what other benign things could this be?
I am not in denial. Based on everything I’ve researched and what urologist said I am fully expecting this will be some type of cancer. As with everyone going through this I am sure the waiting to know is just a killer! I am tired of waiting and want to know what’s going on.

Another question I have is whether anyone has had any symptoms such as a pressure in their lower abdomen, like a fullness, uncomfortable ache? I have been having this only as of the last 4 days. Not sure if it is related or not but the fact it is right in my bladder area worries me a little!
Not sure how fast any of these tumors grow but the fact I have been going through symptoms since February and now it’s practically October is another thing that worries me.

I fully understand that if this is cancer the success rates are very good so I take some comfort in that!

Thanks for reading!

[Jack Moon]

Hi Cliff

Sorry that you might possibly have bladder cancer. I agree with you that your time line from symptoms in Feb to Turbt in October is a long time. In my case back in 2005 I was 4 weeks from time of blood in urine until Turbt. Although benign bladder tumors are rare, I did have 2 very small ones appear between 2006 and 2008 after my initial diagnosis in 2005.
I did not experience pain in my lower abdomen prior to my 1st Turbt and any time there after.
Non muscle invasive bladder cancer can be easily treated, the biggest problem being non invasive it has a high recurrence rate. I was diagnosed in 2005 did have 2 recurrences during BCG treatments but have been cancer free since 2007.
My advice for you is insure your GP gets a copy of your pathology report and when you meet with your Uro post Turbt ask for a copy of the report.
Start a journal and record all your appointments and test results. I did mine on an excel spread sheet.
Good luck with your upcoming Turbt, and keep us posted with the results and any questions you may have.
All the best,
Jack

[DDep]

Hi Cliff,

Welcome to BCC. This is a very helpful and knowledgeable site.

I had very similar symptoms to what you describe at the beginning of your first paragraph – I did mention it to my GP at the time. That was about a year ago. My GP sent me for a Ultra Sound after I pissed blood for the first time on June 5th.

I don’t have much to add to what Jack said except to also add that benign tumors are rare – although they do happen. Jack always gives very good advice.

Take heart in the fact that around 70% of people diagnosed with Bladder cancer are found to have a Non-Muscle Invasive BC (or NIMBC). Of those 70%, just mentioned, around 70% are found to have Non-Invasive BC or Stage Ta while the remaining will have a stage of T1.

My large Tumor was 4.5cm X 3cm, and it was TaLG. When I was having my Foley Catheter removed after my first TURBT, the Urologist on duty told me that he has seen 5cm (golf ball) tumors that were Ta.

Bladder Cancer is highly treatable.

HTH

DDep

[Cliff K]

Jack,
Thank you for sharing your experience and feedback, much appreciated!
I wonder if the fact I had no blood in my urine this contributed to a slower response by docs to my symptoms?

I will keep you posted.

[Cliff K]

DDep, thanks for sharing as well.

I’m liking those stats!!

Still no blood in urine here on my end at least what is visible from the naked eye anyway. Not sure if that means anything one way or the other?

[marysue]

Hi Cliff!
Welcome to Bladder Cancer Canada and the site no one wishes they had to belong to.

You are right that most tumours are malignant. When I went for my first cysto I remember my uro telling me that but he wouldn’t confirm anything with mine until after the TURBT and the results were back. It was a wait and see thing with him. I did the google thing and sure enough what I read confirmed what he told me. That being said it was still a big shock to learn I had cancer. I guess I was hoping against hope that the little suckers would be benign. My body has grown a lot of benign things like stones, fibroids and cysts in the past so I guess my luck just ran out that time.

I had lots of blood in my urine which made it obvious that something was seriously wrong but know of others where the blood was microscopic and only picked up at a routine urine check when they were at the doctor’s for something else. I don’t know if it means good news or not as to the seriousness of your situation. The main thing is that it has been found and is going to be dealt with. Awareness is part of the BCC thing; alert docs that blood in the urine should never be ignored no matter how minor the amount is and for people to realize the same. I was lucky that my family doc realized what it was and got me into a uro pronto. Good luck on the 9th, I know it’s weird to be in the hospital on your birthday but I think it is a really great present to be made cancer free! As a side note – I spent my 7th BD in hospital and it was also Easter Sunday. The head nurse’s hubby dressed up as the Easter bunny and brought us kids candy eggs. I also got my first watch from my parents as I’d learned to tell time while attending school in hospital. I guess it is some gain here, eh? Keep us posted. ((((HUGS)))

[cheryl9]

Hello Cliff

Take a deep breath, two, three, four, five. However many it takes. Waiting can feel like torture if you let it. No matter how much you stress, it changes nothing.

If you can, take in the BC Awareness walk on the 27th. Give you a chance to meet and talk to other BC people. Knowing you are not alone is one of the best de-stressers.

Time line from February to October is long but could be worse. It took well over a year for the doctors to get serious about the blood in my urine. Once they did, things happened real fast: cysto May 1 and surgery May 12 as an add-on for the day. Poor nurse assigned to me started work at 6 am and I didn’t get out of there until almost 8pm. Looking back, uro was probably really concerned the tumor was invasive. With your timeline from cysto to surgery, could indicate the uro isn’t too concerned about invasive.

I consider it awesome that you get to get rid of your tumor on your birthday. Just think: you could be cancer free that day! Don’t dwell on recurrence. Just expect it to happen and this makes it a lot easier to take when it does actually happen.

Don’t spend too much time on other sites because they will scare the pants off you. This site is way more realistic.

In the meantime: cry; hug those that are dear to you; spend time with those you love; and find a way to laugh. Life is too short to not laugh.

Take care

[DDep]

Hello again Cliff,

I had my cystoscopy to confirm BC, on my birthday of all days! Maybe that is a good sign because it ultimately turned out to be TaLG!

With Bladder Cancer, sooner or later, there will be Blood in the Urine. There may be other symptoms as well – but blood in the urine is usually the trigger the General Practice Doctors (GPs) wait for. But no detected blood in the urine in itself does not rule out possible BC.

There are two types of blood in the urine:
1) Micro Hematuria – When blood is in the urine but can only be detected by “test strips” or under a microscope. A urine sample is normally given at a medical office or laboratory.
2) Gross Hematuria – When blood is visible in the urine. The colour can range from light pink to deep purple.

Unfortunately, the very nature of this disease is that the Hematuria (gross or micro) comes and goes. This leads, too often in my view, to a false diagnosis of Urinary Tract Infection (UTI) or something else minor. Although, blood in the urine in itself may not be cancer, it is not normal in any case.

I also do not know whether you have BC – that will ultimately be up to your TURBT/Pathology report. In any case, take heart in that you are fortunate that it is being followed up and something will be done about it AND ” … the odds are in your favor”.

As Cheryl said, “Take a deep breath, two, three, four, five. However many it takes. Waiting can feel like torture if you let it. No matter how much you stress, it changes nothing.”

HTH

DDep

P.S. Off to the BC walk today!

[cheryl9]

Hello Cliff

All this talk about blood, have to add another of my “two cents worth”: when the medical profession finally decided there might be something more going on with me, it was a resident that did this. When he consulted with the doctor he was working under, the doctor tore a strip of the resident that there was no way it was cancer and the resident was making a mountain out of a mole hill. My urine was complete, bright red. So much for doctors knowing to assume malignancy when blood is visible in the urine.

Comes back to that golden rule: take control of your health; do not rely on others who do not potentially have their life on the line; scream, yell or whatever it takes to get attention. If need be, you can apologize later.

Take care

[Author]

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