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Hello
My brother who is 45 found out he had bladder cancer in November 2013. Since then he has had tumors removed twice and is on his second set of BCG. His second surgery he had to have a catheter for 2 weeks. The doctor told him if BCG doesn’t work this time he will need bladder removal surgery. He has invasive cancer. The BCG treatments are very painful this round. His doctor told him if the pain is still there on Friday he cannot get his treatment. The doctor said that they must have a discussion on bladder removal surgery earlier than thought if the pain persist.
My brother and his wife just had their first child on November 28 2013. Needless to say it has been a tough road for them. Any wisdom I can pass onto my brother would be very much appreciated.Sorry to hear about your brother’s journey thus far with bladder cancer.
Just to clarify, you said the cancer was “invasive.” There are two very different recommended treatments for “non-muscle invasive bladder cancer (NMIBC)” and “muscle invasive bladder cancer (MIBC).” NMIBC is treated as your brother has been treated with resections of the tumours and BCG treatments, where needed due to stage and grade of the tumours. Conversely, the gold standard of treatment for MIBC is radical cystectomy surgery to remove the bladder, prostate, seminal vesicles, lymph nodes and to construct a new reservoir for the urine. Get a copy of the pathology report to ensure you know which stage and grade the cancer is. Also, make sure if there is any talk about a radical cystectomy that you are dealing with a major cancer centre that has urologic oncologists who specialize in this type of surgery and the after-care. This is big surgery and you want someone who does this every week doing it, not someone who does a few a year. London is a major centre that does this. Others can comment on the expertise in Windsor as I am not sure about that.
But get a copy of the path report as that will determine what exactly the cancer has invaded, the muscle or just the lining. It makes a big difference as to treatment going forward.
Pain with on-going BCG treatment is not uncommon and having to take a lesser dose or missing an occasional treatment is also not uncommon. But if it is muscle invasive disease, the BCG is not likely the preferred route, though I am not a doctor and would recommend a second opinion at a renowned cancer hospital.
All the best. Keep us posted.
GregGreg has shared some very good advice. Copy of the pathology report is extremely important to clarify non-muscle invasive vs muscle invasive bladder cancer.
If your bother has trouble understanding the path report, just contact me. If your brother intends to get a 2nd opinion at a major cancer centre we can assist him in speeding up the process.
Bladder spasms is a common side effect of BCG. The dosage can be reduced to help. Warm baths also helped me. I struggled with bladder spasms during my last few treatments so I understand what your brother is going through.
Please keep us posted,
JackThank you for responding to my post. I will ask my brother to get his pathology from the doctor. He is getting treatment in Brampton as he lives in Shelburne.
Also his wife wanted to know if it was alright if their baby was held or crawled around my brother after his BCG treatments during the 6 hour period afterwards. Is there a risk of sickness for him?Hi, I wish your brother all the best with his bladder cancer journey. Some good advice above. As for the BCG treatments, I would think it best to be on the safe side, and keep the baby at a distance until the chemicals have pasted through his system. I know with chemo treatment the nurses recommend separate bathrooms and a lot of keeping things clean and washed down. I suggest your brother and his wife ask their doctor at his next visit to confirm!
Glenn
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