cancer cells present but can't find cancer?

decari8 · New User Joined: 01 Feb 2006 Posts: 2

Hello everyone,
My dad has had several tests over the past 2 months. He has syptoms of bladder cancer. Yesterday he had exploratory surgery. The doctor said that he is highly disappointed with the results. He said all the tests so far show that cancer cells are present but they cannot find it. What does that mean? Is that a good thing or a bad thing? I've heard that once it goes through the muscle wall then it spreads throughout the body. They can't find the cancer so does that mean it might be in the muscle wall?
I'm so scared and I can't stop crying uncontrollably. My mom is a very optimistic person and she's sure they will get rid of it. The doctor is trying a new treatment where my dad goes in one day per week for 6 weeks and they insert a caffater(sp?)and flush out is bladder.
~Cari

cjago · Regular Joined: 14 Jan 2006 Posts: 42

I don't have any personal experience of bladder cancer. However, I think it would be better if they could find the cancer because then they could remove it. It sounds to me as though your father might now be going to have chemotherapy through his catheter? Here is a page which tells you more about early bladder cancer

http://www.cancerbacup.org.uk/Cancertype/Bladder/Treatment/Treatmentforearlysuperficialbladdercancer

If you look at the top left, you can find also open other pages with information on more advanced stages.

Best of luck!
_________________
adenocarcinoma of the breast, now widely metastatic (stomach, liver, pelvis, pancreas, bones, skin)
survived 11 years so far

brainman

Cari, there are some cancer that are hidden, that is, the doctors are never able to pinpoint a point of origin. That does make things a little more complicated only because the surgeons cannot totally remove it. However, they can still tell what cell type and what grade of cancer it is. That is what they need to know in order to determine what chemotherapy to us. Never give up hope. Your father may be like me and have to sacrifice a little to gain a lot. But there is still hope for him. Feed on that hope and become strong.

My thought and prayers are with you and your father.
_________________
Jim
Site Administrator and long-term cancer survivor
1992 Astrocytoma grade 2, left motor strip
2005 Recurrence this time said to be an Oligodendoglioma grade 3, same location.
My Story Part 1: http://cancerforums.net/viewtopic.php?p=7350
My Story Part 2: http://cancerforums.net/viewtopic.php?t=8029
Blog http://jimhawkinsport.blogspot.com/

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