My Pathology: Ta, Stage 0, Grade 3, Non-Invasive Papillary Carcinoma

 

The kind of cancer I have is called Ta 0 grade 3 non-invasive papillary carcinoma. I'll break that down into normal terms. 

• T - stands for tumor. It's not in the lymph nodes, and has not metastasized (spread)

• Ta - This tell us how the tumor looks and that it is stage 0. It's a non-invasive (not in the muscle) papillary (it sticks out and looks like cauliflower or coral) carcinoma. This type of cancer has grown toward the hollow center of the bladder but has not grown into the connective tissue or muscle of the bladder wall. It is only in the urothelium layer (part that touches the urine) of the bladder. It has not spread to nearby lymph nodes or distant sites. It can easily  be removed with a TURBT. For more information about a TURBT and my experience click here. Many times these types of tumors look like cauliflower or coral reef. They grow toward the inside of the bladder where the urine is held. 

• 0 - this is the stage that my cancer is. Before getting bladder cancer, I didn't know there was a stage 0. This is GREAT news for me! It means that the cancer is only on the lining of the bladder. It has not invaded other deeper layers of the bladder.

• Grade 3 or High Grade - There are 3 types of grades for cancer. The higher the grade, the more aggressive the cancer usually is, and the higher the chances of it coming back. So this was not great news. The grade refers to when they take a sample of the cancer cells. They compare under a microscope what the cancer cells look like. If they are pretty close to the what the bladder cells look like it will get a low grade or a 1. Moderately looks like the bladder cells, grade 2. If the cancer cells look REALLY different and are growing in crazy weird ways, then it gets the grade 3.

• Non-invasive - this really has to do with the staging. When they use the word invasive, they are talking about if the tumor has invaded, or entered the muscle wall of the bladder. If the tumor has invaded the muscle wall that is stage 2, 3, or 4. Non-invasive means stage 0 and stage 1. 

• Papillary - This is a description of what the tumor looks like. It looks like a papilla or papillae, which is a small fleshy projection or protuberance (growth), or like a nipple. No these tumors don't look like nipples! They look more like cauliflower or coral reef. 

• Carcinoma - carcinoma is the most common type of cancer. It beings to grow in the epithelial tissue of the bladder, or the lining of the bladder. As will all cancer cells, carcinomas are abnormal cells that divide without control.