I'm 82 years old and newly discovered bladder cancer. Thoughts??

Posted by namvet1965 @namvet1965, May 27 1:32am

Should I just let it play out?

Interested in more discussions like this? Go to the Bladder Cancer Support Group.

Lance,
there would be a report generated from the cystoscopy. Call the clinic and request a copy.
TURBT is another cystoscopy to obtain a biopsy.
You might consult with UCLA. They have a highly recognized urology radiation specialist Amar Kishan that might be easier to have a consultation with.
Best wishes

REPLY
@namvet1965

Dear Teresa,
Thank you for offering your knowledge and connections on my bladder cancer that has been recently diagnosed by a clinic in Los Angeles. The bladder cancer was discovered when my primary care doctor ordered a renal ultrasound to see if my fairly high blood pressure could be improved by placing a stent in the renal arteries. The ultrasound detected a 3.7cm bladder mass. I really had no idea that I had a cancerous growth. There has been no indicators except frequent urination………no noticeable bleeding or discomfort.
In my first visit to Urology (post diagnosis) , I had the cystoscopy and a bladder wash. I have not gotten any feedback on that procedure. I fully expected that a urologist would explain what they have found so far and what plan they have to treat it. I am disappointed that I was not offered a consultation on anything that they discovered. The urologist assigned to my case only informed me that they will schedule a TURBT in the near future. I see now that it has been booked for this coming July and I am not at all certain that I want to proceed with it until I have a better understanding of what I may have to go through down the road. I would like to know if an MRI or other imaging procedures can tell me the stage or grade of my cancer before I agree to a TURBT. I want to know what all my options are before proceeding.
Considering my advanced age, there is a limit to what I would want to go through.
Thanks for helping me,
Lance

Jump to this post

Hi, Lance. You already have good basic advice from @hopeful33250 and @gently. Having "enjoyed" a TURBT myself a few years ago, my experience might be helpful to you.

During a cystoscopy of my bladder, a small tumor was detected on the internal lining and removed. A follow-up cystoscopy found a dozen more "epithelial" tumors. That prompted a TURBT procedure to remove the tumors, which were taken with minimal surgery and staged as medially malignant, but not particularly threatening because they too were epithelial (located on the surface of the inner lining of the bladder, found early before any had grown down into bladder muscles or beyond to other tissues).

Every year since, my urologist performed a cystoscopy to check whether any tumors have returned. None have, so I count myself as a full survivor of bladder cancer. The only after-effect of the surgery has been an urge to urinate more often than in the past, and I have dealt with that readily. Martin

REPLY

I’m 64. Had an aggressive, cancerous tumor removed from my bladder last August. It was caught early so no chemo. Now, in June , after a camera check, doctor says there’s 3 more tiny ones he wants to remove. Says they’re like weeds . They’ll just pop up. I’m wondering how I can prevent them from coming back. I went on the carnivore diet and that helped tremendously. No glucose or glutamine is stopping them from growing. Wish there was a way to stop them from coming back at all.

REPLY
@drs460mayo

I’m 64. Had an aggressive, cancerous tumor removed from my bladder last August. It was caught early so no chemo. Now, in June , after a camera check, doctor says there’s 3 more tiny ones he wants to remove. Says they’re like weeds . They’ll just pop up. I’m wondering how I can prevent them from coming back. I went on the carnivore diet and that helped tremendously. No glucose or glutamine is stopping them from growing. Wish there was a way to stop them from coming back at all.

Jump to this post

Welcome, @drs460mayo. It sounds like your recurrence is non-invasive and non-muscle-invasive, which are typically treated the same as early stage bladder cancer. You can read more in this article:
- Bladder cancer: What you should know about diagnosis, treatment and recurrence https://cancerblog.mayoclinic.org/2023/05/30/bladder-cancer-what-you-should-know-about-diagnosis-treatment-and-recurrence

You might be interested in this related discussion:
- Bladder cancer recurrance: What are the treatment options?
https://connect.mayoclinic.org/discussion/bladder-cancer-recurrance/
However, I believe you're asking what dietary or lifestyle changes can you make to reduce the risk of recurrence. Have you considered consulting an oncology registered dietitian?

REPLY
@colleenyoung

Welcome, @drs460mayo. It sounds like your recurrence is non-invasive and non-muscle-invasive, which are typically treated the same as early stage bladder cancer. You can read more in this article:
- Bladder cancer: What you should know about diagnosis, treatment and recurrence https://cancerblog.mayoclinic.org/2023/05/30/bladder-cancer-what-you-should-know-about-diagnosis-treatment-and-recurrence

You might be interested in this related discussion:
- Bladder cancer recurrance: What are the treatment options?
https://connect.mayoclinic.org/discussion/bladder-cancer-recurrance/
However, I believe you're asking what dietary or lifestyle changes can you make to reduce the risk of recurrence. Have you considered consulting an oncology registered dietitian?

Jump to this post

I haven’t. I’ll figure out hit to locate one in Las Vegas . Thanks for the idea.

REPLY

Does anyone know of any oncologists who specialize in dietary solutions? I’ve been on the carnivore diet so no carbs, no sugar is supposed to help. I’ve read many times that cancer cells thrive on glucose & glutamine. I feel great on this diet , lots of energy, lost weight, sleep better. Just need to find out how to stop these tumors from coming back.

REPLY
Please sign in or register to post a reply.