Q: My 84 years old father had operation for enlarged prostate twice. First operation was done 12 years back and second one was done recently. His biopsy result shows: benign prostatic hyperplasia and transitional cell carcinoma (grade 1) of dome of the bladder. What is the best treatment for the same? Please advise.

A:While your father had a transurethral surgery for prostate on first occasion; the second surgery was probably done for bleeding with urine. During second transurethral surgery a growth in bladder was removed, which revealed low-grade bladder cancer. Prostate surgery is done for improving urine flow, and if your father has no difficulty in passing urine, he does not have any thing to worry about on that front. Management of bladder growth, however, requires repeated bladder examinations, as 70% of patients having had this diagnosis will have a recurrence of similar type at same or different place in bladder in future. In addition, some patients, depending on the histopathology report or multiplicity of the growth, may require some drug instillations in bladder following surgery to prevent recurrences in future. I am sure your Urologist will educate you in details regarding the future course of action.