Transitional cell tumour

[February1970]

Hi there,

My Dad was diagnosed with a transitional cell tumour last January. Has anybody here any experience of this type of tumour?

Thanks so much

[Marion62]

Sorry to hear about your Dad

I too was diagnosed in January with the same.

Fortunately mine was low grade and non invasive and I had no treatment after the biopsy.

I did have another cystoscopy 3 months after the biopsy and that was clear. I will have another in December.

I am sure your Dad will be following a treatment plan and others who have had additional treatment will no doubt reply. May be you can give a few more details from the biopsy result.

All the best to you and your Dad.

[McLabhran]

Hi there. Transitional cell tumour is a very common name. It is a type of cancer that typically occurs in the urinary system: the kidney, urinary bladder, and accessory organs. Some are non-invasive and some are not. Some are aggressive and some are not. Your father's doctor should after several tests be able to determine his status as to how advanced it is. It is one of the most treatable cancers. I was diagnosed with the aggressive type and had BCG treatments (natural pathogen they used for people with tuberculosis - German doctor discovered this method of treatment). The treatment worked for me and I have regular cystoscopies (basically a little camera at the end of a tube that the doctor uses to see inside the bladder to see the condition of the bladder. This BCG treatment can be used again whenever there is a reoccurrence of the cancer - all this depends on the state of the bladder and its condition at the time. For follow-ups after treatments (providing everything appears okay) urine tests such as the FISH and CYTO tests will indicate any abnormal cells in the bladder. These tests help give a jump start if the cancer "thinks" it can come back to invade the bladder and treatment can get started immediately. Chemotherapy/radiation and removal of the bladder is NOT always the solution.

My advice is get as much information as to what stage and type of bladder cancer your father has and do your research. Education is so vital with this type of dis-ease! You will find that most diseases are inflammation of the body. Humans are abusive to their bodies one way or another.

They claim that people who smoke a lot end up with bladder or lung cancer. I don't smoke so how do they explain that one?

For your consideration, I suggest looking at diet. Sugar is a major food that cancer just simply loves and will feed on it to prosper and not having oxygen at the cellular level is another delight for the cancer to thrive. So you think you are really breathing? I cut out all foods that have "tons" of sugar. I love my pastries, but for the purpose of staying alive, I went cold turkey (as they say) and just stop having them. If I must have something with a bit of sweet, I take a natural product "Stevia." I juice a lot (greens such as kale, spinach, dandelion - any greens I can find) and mix it in with a little coconut water to take the edge of the "green." I drank just plain green for almost a year (nasty tasting) but needed to make my body more alkaline (7,0). That is the other thing. The more acidic the body, the more grounds for cancer to thrive.

It is really a lot of work to try and stay on the healthy path as much as you possibly can. It is vital to really educate yourself on this topic. People's experience is helpful and you don't feel alone, but again, you must do your research as this will let you know what new or alternative treatments are available to such patients. Too often, doctors scare the hell out of people, and naturally, the patient is going to believe everything the doctor says. An opinion from another doctor is also good and make sure the doctor listens to what you have to say and you are not being dictated to and not to mention a doctor who poo-poos other ways of helping yourself or seeking alternative treatment. Read. read, read and read!

Again, for your consideration, here are some websites to get a sense of what information is out there. Use cancer patient's experience as information and it does NOT mean it is the same for your father. As I said, each person will be different. My approach was "never " to say, "I have," but instead, I said, "I was diagnosed with....' My approach was and still is look at myself holistically..aligning myself... meaning mind, body, spirit and emotionally. How I think, eat, meditate and feel. Doing the best I possibly can to stay healthy... life is never guaranteed us. Just do the best you can with what you can.

A few websites for your consideration:-

thetruthaboutcancer.com, gerson.org/gerpress/

cancerdefeated.com/top-10-i...

cancertutor.com/ruleofthumb/

Wishing your father well and great to see he has a great daughter to help him along this journey.

McLabhran

[February1970 in reply to McLabhran]

Hi Marion and McLabhran,

Thank you both so much for your replies and kind words. I was actually in tears reading them!

My Dad is having a really rough time. He's in hospital, as he was in a lot of pain. In his case, a lesion was discovered in the pelvis in May 2016 and this began to cause problems in October 2016. He has become quite immobile, it's very difficult to watch.

The doctors aren't offering any more treatment. But I keep hoping he will stabilise and be around for a lot longer. I'm devastated at the moment, it's heartbreaking.

His tumour wasn't diagnosed when he initially presented with blood in the urine in 2013. I am so angry about that.... it eats you up.

I will try seeing if some supplements might give his immune system a boost. He developed a serious UTI a few days ago and is drowsy from all the antibiotics, nerve pain killers and sleeping tablets he's taking.

I want to cling to any hope I can and I'll never give up trying to help him.

Thank you both again, I appreciate your replies so much

Suzanne

[McLabhran in reply to February1970]

UTI are not unusual before, during or after treatments. Women are more prone to them and I know! I had them so badly and often that I did not know what to do with myself and it is extremely painful and can immobilize you. Plus as a woman other issues come into play when you have a UTI. I stayed away from acidic foods and acidic drinks as they irritate the bladder (helped me a lot). Perhaps you can do some research online about foods and drinks that are less acidic for the bladder. I drank water like crazy just to keep myself flushed just meant I was in the house of commons frequently. Also, remember that the bladder is always wet and is the reservoir for liquid waste so healing will take longer because of that. It took me a good year and a bit to heal... trust me no fun! I still stay away from most acidic foods and drinks. If I want to cheat sometimes, it is only a tiny bit and nothing ongoing or I will suffer for it.

I was prescribed Phenazopyridine which makes your pee orange to an almost red color. No one told me at the time my pee was going to be those colors which scared the hell out of me. Here is some info on it. Always check with a doctor.

webmd.com/a-to-z-guides/phe....

I very much encourage you to help your dad build his immune system as it is so important and one has to be consistent about it.

Take care,

McLabhran

[February1970 in reply to McLabhran]

Thank you again, I will try my utmost to help my Dad.

All the best to you

[Marion62 in reply to February1970]

Suzanne,

Thank you for sharing about your Dad.

Mclabhran has given you some really good information.

Just make sure you keep well yourself and remember we are always here to listen.

Best wishes to you both.

Marion

[February1970]

Thank you so much Marion. It's so tough at the moment, I'm not sure what is going to happen