Surgery vs. radiation for bladder cancer?
From our inbox: My dad was recently diagnosed with 2 kinds of bladder cancer. He isn't sure if he should have the bladder removal surgery or just radiation. He has maybe a week to make a decision. He is looking to hear from others who have gone in one of those directions and how it worked for them. Please let me know if you can help. He is 74 years old.
By now, you may have made your decision. My husband 77 went for bladder restoration with chemotherapy and radiation. I just posted his history for your perusal. Healing energy to you!
With much consultation with our medical oncologist, our radiation oncologist, input from cardiac, pulmonary and vascular surgeons, plus our personal research ( I, wife am a retired RN who worked in the late 70's as an Oncology Nurse} we chose bladder restoration for a 77 year old dx with stage II aggressive tumor with a hx of COPD, MI and spinal stenosis. He just completed 6 months of chemo, 2 regimens of Gemzar, Cisplastin (6 weeks) followed by reduced Gemzar to 100 mg along with 36 daily radiation treatments, followed by 2 more full regimens of Gemzar & Cisplastin. The patient had no drops in his creatine levels, no leukapenia, moderate fatigue and some hair loss. Ct scan in later treatment stages showed no evidence of tumor growth or where the tumor had been removed by TURBT. We now will be followed with another CT scan in 8 weeks and if needed a cystoscopy. We hope to be trail blazers for this protocol for bladder preservation in the future. It is, intersestingly, the gold standard of treatment in European nations wheras our gold standard in the US now, is chemo followed by radical cystectomy. Is this always the best choice for seniors looking for a positive quality of life?
- Thank you for sharing about the route you and your husband chose. That's great to hear you worked closely and consulted his entire medical team about this big decision. Especially considering his preexisting health complications. I'm glad to hear that it seems to be going well for him, and that he hasn't experienced those side effects. I do hope that this protocol is successful, sending positive thoughts! In terms of your question - I think the best choice will vary from person to person. We hear about seniors choosing both options (bladder removal vs. preservation) and having good outcomes. Everyone's situation is unique, so it is very important to keep all factors in mind. I do hope to hear updates of how your husband is doing. Will be thinking of you both. -Sarah (BladderCancer.net Team Member)
