When Damase Caron, 37, of Derby noticed a small amount of blood at the end of his urine stream, he knew it wasn’t normal.
“The blood wasn’t tinting my urine,” explained Damase. “It was just a few drops at the end of my stream for a few days, and then it went away. I told my primary care physician about it. He suggested that I get an ultrasound to be safe.”
The ultrasound found a tumor in his bladder. Damase was referred to Steven Kardos, MD, of Northeast Medical Group Urology. Dr. Kardos said that they needed to remove the tumor to determine if it was benign or malignant. He suggested using the latest diagnostic tool in detecting bladder cancer at Bridgeport Hospital – blue light cystoscopy.
“Historically, white light cystoscopy was used to see tumors in the bladder. Now, blue light cystoscopy gives physicians better visualization of these high-risk tumors so that they can be resected in their entirety to reduce the likelihood of recurrence,” said Dr. Kardos.
One hour before the procedure, the medical team injects a solution using the drug Cysview into the bladder. The solution is absorbed by abnormal cells. A urologist begins with a traditional white light cystoscopy to view the bladder and its possible abnormalities, then switches to blue light. Under blue light, suspicious tissue glows pink.
“When we got to Bridgeport Hospital for the cystoscopy, everyone from admitting to prep was asking how we were and how Damase was feeling. Everyone was so kind,” said Damase’s wife Christina. “Dr. Kardos could tell that we were nervous and he was very comforting.”
Using blue light cystoscopy, Dr. Kardos removed Damase’s tumor. He also ensured that there were adequate margins without any additional lesions to make certain that the tissue was clear of cancer cells.
Shortly after, Damase and Christina attended a follow-up appointment with Dr. Kardos where they learned that the tumor was malignant.
“When Dr. Kardos told us that Damase had bladder cancer, we could tell that he was upset. I haven’t seen that much emotion from a physician before, but we could tell that he really cared about us. He is just a phenomenal physician,” said Christina.
Since his initial resection, Damase has received Bacillus Calmette-Guerin (BCG) maintenance therapy to reduce the risk of recurrence and disease progression at Dr. Kardos’s Fairfield office.
Since his blue light cystoscopy more than a year ago, Damase has had no evidence of bladder cancer.
“Damase looks at this situation as a blessing,” Christina said. “Had our primary care physician not suggested an ultrasound, we might be in a very different situation now. We have such a great support system with our family. We are surrounded by a lot of positivity and are not alone.”
“I am going to be seeing Dr. Kardos and his staff for follow-ups for a very long time,” said Damase. “He is one of those doctors who really cares about what he does and about his patients. He and his nurse Maureen are just amazing.”
