Homepage – Forum › Forums › Newly Diagnosed With Bladder Cancer › Understanding Bladder Cancer Pathology
- This topic has 1 reply, 2 voices, and was last updated 7 years, 1 month ago by
Jack Moon.
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January 9, 2018 at 8:03 pm #8769
joey
ParticipantIt is my understanding that the pathology report, which is the report prepared by the pathologist who has microscopically analyzed the specimen or specimens taken from the bladder. The report should contain sufficient information which your urologist will use, along his or her clinical analysis, to determine the status of disease and what treatment is required.
The report is mainly prepared for doctors so the language used is not always comprehensive to new patients. You can request the copy of the report, you may get the report after you have a meeting with the urologist. It was such in my case.
Jack always reminds new patients to make sure to request the copy and keep it.I have found that Bladder Cancer Advocate of American hosted a webinar called Understanding Bladder Cancer Pathology. It has three parts and you can view in YOUTUBE or you can view in PDF.
YOUTUBE
PDF
https://www.bcan.org/assets/Part-I-BC-Pathology.pdf
https://www.bcan.org/assets/Part-II-BC-Pathology.pdf
https://www.bcan.org/assets/Part-III-BC-Pathology.pdfJoey
January 10, 2018 at 1:06 am #22084Jack Moon
KeymasterThanks for posting Joey.
Over the past 10 years I have read hundreds of bladder cancer pathology reports. Several reports I had to forward to the chair of BCC medical advisory board or to a Pathologist (bladder cancer survivor) to insure myself and the patient understood exactly what some of the medical terms meant. I must say over the past few years most of the pathology reports I have read are much easier to understand for patients especially from labs at major cancer centers. Many of the major cancer centers in Canada have a pathology report available on line for patients to read with-in a few days after the surgery. Hopefully in the very near future all bladder cancer pathology reports will be written with the patient in mind.
The pathology report will give detail of what was in the sample, number of samples, size of the tumors, and the margins. It is important that the margins include lining and muscle of the bladder. This how the stage of the tumor(s) is determined.
Also the report includes the type of bladder cancer and the grade of the tumor(s).
If you read something in your personal report you do not understand just ask your Urologist or your family doctor.
Once you as a patient have the above information you will have a better understanding of the treatment plan your Urologist or Oncologist is recommending. -
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