Luis’s Story: “I ask myself, what should be the definition of early detection?”

What began as a routine effort to monitor prostate health led to a life-changing discovery that no one expected. Through persistence, careful questioning, and a bit of luck, Luis Farias uncovered his bladder cancer earlier than most—and his experience has made him rethink what “early detection” really means. This is his story:

I ask myself, what should be the definition of early detection? So far, it appears that it is only incidental.

In the years before my bladder cancer was discovered, I was completely focused on my prostate, as my PSA kept increasing continuously. When I read about multiparametric MRI (3T), I suggested to my doctor that I get one to have more confidence in my condition. As a result, in August 2019, a small lesion in the prostate with high suspicion for cancer was found. A biopsy was carried out, but no malignancy was detected.

As my PSA continued rising, I had another MPMRI in March 2020. The lesion in the prostate showed an increase in size, and they also found a small polypoid lesion in the right wall of the bladder with a diameter of 4 mm. In October 2021, I had another prostate biopsy, which came back positive. I finally decided to have a radical prostatectomy. At that point, my doctor told me that the finding in my bladder could simply be a tiny fold in the wall. Before the surgery, I insisted on having my bladder examined.

The surgery was on November 19, 2021. I was put to sleep, and when I woke up, the doctor told me, “I did not touch the prostate because I found a 1 cm tumor in your bladder.” Pathology reported a low-risk, non-muscle invasive tumor. I received a single postoperative instillation of intravesical chemotherapy (doxorubicin) and later a round of five more weekly instillations of this type of chemotherapy.

My first follow-up cystoscopy was on April 20, 2022, where something suspicious appeared, so a second TURBT was scheduled. Thank God it was only a false alarm. Since then, I have had four more cystoscopies according to protocol, the most recent in May 2025. I was very worried beforehand because I had discovered some blood in my urine, but it was related to my irradiated prostate. Thankfully, no evidence of recurrence was found. It has now been three and a half years, and I have no signs of bladder cancer.

My prostate was treated with radiotherapy (30 rounds in May 2023), and so far, everything seems fine. In summary, thanks to God and the great support of my wife and doctors, my bladder cancer journey has been lighter than that of many other patients who only discover the disease after finding blood in their urine. So again, I ask myself: what should be the definition of early detection? At present, it seems that early detection is only incidental. I believe that at least some high-risk groups, such as firefighters, should have access to a true early detection test at some point in their lives.

I discovered BCAN online, and the site has been very helpful and extremely informative, providing me with important details about my bladder cancer.