I have yet to see the consultant who performed the procedure about four weeks ago. I now have an appointment with a uro nurse tomorrow. Why is this please?
In many hospitals, it is normal after a TURBT for the first appointment to be with a urology nurse.. They'll check how you are and how you are healing. They may also explain any results if they are available, and talk through what the next steps may be.
Consultants are often seen later if a more detailed discussion or treatment planning is needed.
If you are feeling worried about this you can ask the nurse why you are seeing them first and when you'll get to speak with the consultant.
I hope this helps. Give us a ring if you would like to talk anything over. The number to call is Freephone 0808 800 4040 and the lines are open from 9am till 5pm Monday to Friday.
I saw the urology nurse this morning. It was a lot to take in despite taking some brief notes. (There is a leaflet I need to plough through too.)
I am now looking at those notes and trying to understand the feedback she gave to me. I would be grateful for your help making sense of what I've been told.
The consultant wrote as a conclusion to his detailed report: 'G2 pT1 invasive capillary urothelial carcinoma.'
Urothelial cells I understand line the bladder?
The word invasive is concerning?
Given that 30/40% of bladder cancer come back, I have agreed to begin a six week course of BCG therapy on Monday next on the understanding that this is a preventative method of immunotherapy.
I think I understand the G2 to represent Grade 2 (intermediate) .. The tumour was bigger than 3cm. I take it G2 means moderately aggressive? Is G2 equal to stage 2?
The pT1 it seems is based on p pathological/microscopic findings. T1 was described as A/1 high I am confused by this too??
I can appreciate that there is a lot of information for you to process.
We cannot interpret individual medical reports; the best person to clarify things with would be your specialist nurse or the urologist who knows your situation.
Generally, urothelial carcinoma is a cancer of the bladder lining and is the most commontype of bladder cancer.
Thegrade of bladder cancerrefers to how much the cells look like normal cells, and this tells the doctors how the cancer might behave. Grade 2 (G 2) meansthe cancer cells look less like normal cells (abnormal). They are called moderately differentiated. This is not equal to stage 2.
Thestage of the cancerrefers to the size of the tumour and how far it has spread, and this helps the doctors to decide what the best treatment will be.
There are other ways that the stage of the cancer is described, either as non-muscle invasive bladder cancer, which are early stage cancers (T1), or muscle invasive bladder cancer, where the cancer has spread into or through the muscle layer of the bladder. These tend to be a more advanced stage of bladder cancers (T2- T4)
It sounds like your cancer is anon-muscle invasive bladder cancer, stage T1. This is considered an early stage and means the cancer has started to grow into the connective tissue beneath the bladder lining.
Those with non-muscle invasive bladder cancer are put into 3 risk groups (low risk, moderate risk, or high risk), which describe how likely it is that the cancer may spread further or may come back after treatment. Knowing the risk also helps with treatment planning. If your cancer is considered high risk, thentreatment such as BCG following surgeryis recommended to reduce the risk of the cancer coming back in the future.
I hope this and the links above help in some way and that you can get more clarity from your team at the hospital.
