Aggressive Bladder Cancer: Tips to help hold meds in bladder?

Thank you for this post. I start six weeks of gemcitabine/docetaxel on Friday.

I'm tagging fellow members like @sepdvm @johnfromca @sue225 @rjlpool502 and others who may have some tips about staying comfortable while retaining gemcitabine or other intravesical medications in the bladder.

@delavan, have you started treatment yet?
@jimg56, how is your husband doing with side effects?

Good luck. I hope you will tolerate it well and it works for you. Let us know how you do.

So far, so good. Thanks for the good wishes. I have read a great deal about the form of cancer I have and the suggested (but not always available) treatments for it. What I have found most helpful is the NCCN (National Comprehensive Cancer Network). It has an app called NCCN Guidelines for Patients Bladder Cancer. It is 102 pages in length. It is exceptionally well written, but does not contain unnecessary technical language. Every major cancer center in the U.S. is a member and subscribes to it protocols. The result is that the same diagnostic and treatment protocols are used at all of the 33 cancer centers that are members. Unfortunately, the physician protocols are not accessible to patients. That doesn’t mean every cancer center is equal to the others. But it does have an equalizing effect on the standard of care to be used by the treating doctors at the subscribing institutions.

So far, so good. Thanks for the good wishes. I have read a great deal about the form of cancer I have and the suggested (but not always available) treatments for it. What I have found most helpful is the NCCN (National Comprehensive Cancer Network). It has an app called NCCN Guidelines for Patients Bladder Cancer. It is 102 pages in length. It is exceptionally well written, but does not contain unnecessary technical language. Every major cancer center in the U.S. is a member and subscribes to it protocols. The result is that the same diagnostic and treatment protocols are used at all of the 33 cancer centers that are members. Unfortunately, the physician protocols are not accessible to patients. That doesn’t mean every cancer center is equal to the others. But it does have an equalizing effect on the standard of care to be used by the treating doctors at the subscribing institutions.

Hi, I also have taken the gem/doc treatments for NMIBC HG. I’ve had 15 treatments so far. I have to hold the gem for 90 minutes and the doc for 2 hours. Side effects varied at times. So far I haven’t had any new tumors. I deal with exhaustion but still am able to do a normal routine. The treatment burns and I causes muscle spasms and I sleep a lot after each treatment. I hope you do well on these treatments and that you have a very supportive spouse. Best to you!

So far, so good. Thanks for the good wishes. I have read a great deal about the form of cancer I have and the suggested (but not always available) treatments for it. What I have found most helpful is the NCCN (National Comprehensive Cancer Network). It has an app called NCCN Guidelines for Patients Bladder Cancer. It is 102 pages in length. It is exceptionally well written, but does not contain unnecessary technical language. Every major cancer center in the U.S. is a member and subscribes to it protocols. The result is that the same diagnostic and treatment protocols are used at all of the 33 cancer centers that are members. Unfortunately, the physician protocols are not accessible to patients. That doesn’t mean every cancer center is equal to the others. But it does have an equalizing effect on the standard of care to be used by the treating doctors at the subscribing institutions.

Had my third gem/doc treatment yesterday. I made it through, but I had quite a bit of discomfort. The infusion nurse said many patients terminate the treatment early. I didn’t consider doing that because I want full benefit of the prescribed treatment. Three down and three to go. Good luck to all those on the board.