Hi @swh, I can imagine that you are worried and nervous. Papillary urothelial carcinoma is usually slow growing, and effective treatments are available. You are in good hands at Mayo Clinic. Which location are you going to next week? Is this your first time going to Mayo Clinic?

Hello @swh, that wait knowing cancer is present is tough. I'm glad that this week will bring you some answers and hopefully a treatment plan. There are new primary treatments being used and having success which is leading to the ability to save the bladder, even more so than a few years ago when my husband was being treated. Be sure to ask about this if it doesn't come up in discussion. In 2019 we were initially hit with the standard of care being radical cystectomy, which is quite a blow when you are first diagnosed with bladder cancer. Make sure all your options are discussed. My husband experienced BCG, Cisplatin and Gemzar chemotherapy, and Pembrolizumab immunotherapy as well as a partial cystectomy to remove a diverticulum off the bladder that held his initial tumor. In the end after medical treatment failures and regular recurrences, he chose his best option for cure with radical cystectomy. He has been free of cancer for 1.5 years since then, but many complications from surgery.
Dr. Mark Tyson is the Mayo urologist studying the bladder sparing treatments. I hope you are able to benefit from this new information. Please keep us updated after your visit this week.