kidney cancer

[Mrs. Bradbury]

We just found out last week that my husband has a malignant tumor on one of his kidneys. He's 49 and the love of my life, and we're terrified.

The doctor says he can just take what he has to of the kidney to get clean margins and leave the rest of the kidney. I would want that compromised kidney OUT, but the doctor says my husband is "way too young" to do that. That's not what they tell people when they want you to donate a kidney . . .

I would appreciate anyone's experiences with kidney cancer, good or bad. This really blindsided us.

Thanks,

 

[mommasita]

I am so sorry you all are going through this. I have no expertise or knowledge here, but am offering many thoughts and prayers to you and your family.

I also think I would feel as you do, just get it out.

 

[fb309]

I know the fear you are experiencing. My husband was diagnosed at 49 with Stage 4 kidney cancer two years ago. He had his entire kidney removed due to the size of the tumor. He took Sutent for 16 months until the drug stopped working. He just finished a 12 week round of another type of treatment which didn't work at all and damaged his other kidney...he is now on dialysis and the cancer has spread. I worry each and every moment day in and day out. He is now back on Sutent and just started radiation and dialysis. My advice is to do your research, know what the doctor's are talking about (the best you can), ask questions, get another opinion if you aren't satisfied and even if you are. There are a couple of kc message boards I read. Also look for the kidney cancer warriors. My mom and husband were both on the oncology floor for the past 2 weeks, I brought my husband home Friday and had my Mom's funeral Saturday.
It is good news that the doctor feels he can remove your husband's tumor completely. There are more treatments available today and hopefully, all he will need is the surgery.

 

[DisneyFairytale]

Oh my goodness, that is devastating. Prayers going your way.

 

[bdcp]

Kidney cancer has a very good survival rate especially when found early. My uncle had it 25 years ago and had his kidney removed. He was about 44 at the time. He's been fine ever since.

 

[quasar4legs]

Sorry you and your husband are dealing with this and I can certainly understand your shock.

Best wishes finding the right treatment options.
The only person I know that had kidney cancer had the whole kidney removed and is alive and well just on 30 years down the track.

Thinking of you and your family

 

[lpereira]

My dad had kidney cancer. In one kidney. The doctor in his case said to take it out right away. Many years later my dad passed away at 73 from something other than kidney cancer. Go for a second opinion.

 

[Mrs. Bradbury]

I'm back! I had a very busy few days, and my husband went for his pre-op appointments yesterday. Unfortunately, due to what was described as a "very important" accounting meeting at my job, I opted to attend the meeting instead of going to the doctor's appointment with him. What a joke the meeting was - no new information. I felt stupid for falling for that instead of going to the doctor appointment.

Anyway, Bill was told at the doctor appointment that it's not going to be done laproscopically (sp?), that it's going to be a regular incision, and that they will remove one of his back ribs as well because it may be in the way. OW! That said it was going to be a painful surgery.

I am so sorry you all are going through this. I have no expertise or knowledge here, but am offering many thoughts and prayers to you and your family.

I also think I would feel as you do, just get it out.

Thank you, Mommasita.

I know the fear you are experiencing. My husband was diagnosed at 49 with Stage 4 kidney cancer two years ago. He had his entire kidney removed due to the size of the tumor. He took Sutent for 16 months until the drug stopped working. He just finished a 12 week round of another type of treatment which didn't work at all and damaged his other kidney...he is now on dialysis and the cancer has spread. I worry each and every moment day in and day out. He is now back on Sutent and just started radiation and dialysis. My advice is to do your research, know what the doctor's are talking about (the best you can), ask questions, get another opinion if you aren't satisfied and even if you are. There are a couple of kc message boards I read. Also look for the kidney cancer warriors. My mom and husband were both on the oncology floor for the past 2 weeks, I brought my husband home Friday and had my Mom's funeral Saturday.
It is good news that the doctor feels he can remove your husband's tumor completely. There are more treatments available today and hopefully, all he will need is the surgery.

Oh my goodness! How terrible for you. We don't know what stage this is, and I'm trying to stay positive. Bill doesn't want to get a second opinion, much to my dismay. He just wants to go with whatever this doctor says. He's a very laid back guy. Me, I'm a chihuahua.

Oh my goodness, that is devastating. Prayers going your way.

Thank you so much.

Kidney cancer has a very good survival rate especially when found early. My uncle had it 25 years ago and had his kidney removed. He was about 44 at the time. He's been fine ever since.

I'm counting on an outcome like your uncle's! Thanks.

Sorry you and your husband are dealing with this and I can certainly understand your shock.

Best wishes finding the right treatment options.
The only person I know that had kidney cancer had the whole kidney removed and is alive and well just on 30 years down the track.

Thinking of you and your family

Thanks so much, and I want 30 more years with my husband really bad.

My dad had kidney cancer. In one kidney. The doctor in his case said to take it out right away. Many years later my dad passed away at 73 from something other than kidney cancer. Go for a second opinion.

Thank you for sharing your experience. I hope things work out as well for my husband as they did for your dad. I wish Bill would get a second opinion, but he has no interest.

 

[quasar4legs]

Hi Mrs Bradbury,

Thanks for the update and I am sorry that the surgery sounds like it is going to be so painful, it must be daunting for your whole family.

I am sending you all a BIG koala cuddle from 'down under' and shall keep Bill and you in my thoughts.

Quasar

 

[Julie*]

My MIL had kidney cancer 5 years ago at the age of 73. They removed her kidney with an open incision and also removed one of her ribs. She was in the hospital for a week or 2 (probably due to her age) and she has not had another problem with it since. No chemo etc.
I hope that your DH has the same positive results. She actually felt so much better once she recovered b/c she was having bad back pain and the tumor was culprit.

 

[Mrs. Bradbury]

Hi Mrs Bradbury,

Thanks for the update and I am sorry that the surgery sounds like it is going to be so painful, it must be daunting for your whole family.

I am sending you all a BIG koala cuddle from 'down under' and shall keep Bill and you in my thoughts.

Quasar

Thank you Quasar! I consider koala cuddles to be very special and healing.

My MIL had kidney cancer 5 years ago at the age of 73. They removed her kidney with an open incision and also removed one of her ribs. She was in the hospital for a week or 2 (probably due to her age) and she has not had another problem with it since. No chemo etc.
I hope that your DH has the same positive results. She actually felt so much better once she recovered b/c she was having bad back pain and the tumor was culprit.

Thanks Julie for your reply. Sounds like your MIL had the same thing as my husband - he feels just lousy, with back pain especially, and can't take pain meds while he's working, and needs to work as much as he can due to no sick leave (fairly new job) . . . it's just a bad situation all around. I feel so bad for him.

 

[Jedana]

First off: ((huggles)).

My husband (he was 37) had a softball sized mass found on his right kidney back in 2007; no symptoms other than an occasional back ache and chronic gout in his big toe. Oh, and the microscopic drops of blood in his urine.

The doctors determined it was large enough to cause a problem, and chose to remove it, instead of doing a biopsy. It turns out that it was an Adrenocortical carcinoma (ACC) tumor on his adrenal gland, but that it had encompassed the kidney, and they removed both the gland and the kidney.

If they had dx'd it on his gland prior to his surgery, it would have saved him a lot of problems, because for removal of the gland, he needed to be on certain medications to compensate. No chemo or anything, they got it all. But it was malignant, so I'm glad they didn't delay.

They did go in through his front, and it took him almost 2 months to recover (but again, part of that was because of the removal of the gland--they had to get his levels under control)--he was in the hospital for 1 month, and then another month at home. He was an unusual case, though.

With removal of the kidney comes the chance that they may need dialysis (as my husband does--his left kidney was functioning at less than 15%, the right kidney had been maintaining function, however, with it being encompassed by the tumor, when they tried to remove the tumor, they nicked the artery to the kidney and had to remove it, because they couldn't stop the bleeding).

 

[kathyhamilton]

Mrs Bradbury....youre not alone

I discovered I had Renal cell carsanoma in 1999. I was 53 at the time. I had a 6 mm mass in left kidney, I've never known that kind of fear before. They were going to schedule surgery for 3 weeks away. I cried and yelled i need this thing out of my body now. They did remove the entire left kidney, the tumore was encapsulated, so the cancer never touched any other organs. We only use 80% of one kidney, so I do just fine. I am still checked for return of the cancer every year(blood work, xrays,ultrasounds)

Just wanted to give you good news, my life is wonderful now, and I hope your husband can get back to his life soon

Kathy Hamilton

 

[jlevis]

I was diagnosed 2 years ago with kidney cancer. I had and open nephrectomy and they removed my kidney and a large tumor. The cancer was a renal cell with sarcomatoid features - the most agressive form. About a year and a half later a very small tumor was found in the area were the left kidney was. That was removed. About a month ago a positive lymph node was found behind my right lung. I am just starting a round of testing prior to a biopsy. I opted to not have any drug therapy after my first surgery. But, it looks like I will this time. I have to meet with a radiologist but I'm hoping that I am a candidate for radiation as opposed to surgery.

I have to admit that it is begining to wear on me. I'm 69 years old with a very supportive wife. I would not be able to deal with this if it wasn't for her. I also have a great medical team working for me so I know I'm getting the best care. The best advice I can give anyone going through this is to deal with it one issue at a time. It is hard but stay positive.

 

[Mrs. Bradbury]

Thought I would give an update -

My husband came through surgery fine, a partial nephrectomy, the tumor was completely removed with 5mm margins. Recuperating was ROUGH, especially the first couple of weeks, but he was back at work on light duty in 6 weeks and feels pretty normal. At his first CAT scan after surgery, the PA mentioned in passing that the scan showed a spot on his liver and he would be fine . . . that's as much detail as she gave. We have not liked this practice (haven't seen the doctor since the day after surgery) so we fired them and switched to another practice; an MRI showed the spot was a harmless hemangioma, definitely not cancer. So we're beginning to breathe again!

Thanks for your prayers and positive thoughts!

 

[luvmarypoppins]

Glad your husband is feeling well and that you have a doctor whom you like.

Wishing him all the best.

 

[mommasita]

Thought I would give an update -

My husband came through surgery fine, a partial nephrectomy, the tumor was completely removed with 5mm margins. Recuperating was ROUGH, especially the first couple of weeks, but he was back at work on light duty in 6 weeks and feels pretty normal. At his first CAT scan after surgery, the PA mentioned in passing that the scan showed a spot on his liver and he would be fine . . . that's as much detail as she gave. We have not liked this practice (haven't seen the doctor since the day after surgery) so we fired them and switched to another practice; an MRI showed the spot was a harmless hemangioma, definitely not cancer. So we're beginning to breathe again!

Thanks for your prayers and positive thoughts!

Thank you for the positive update.

 

[quasar4legs]

Thanks for the update, I am glad that things are progressing well.

I am pleased to hear you have been able to find a medical practice that can give your husband the ongoing care he needs.

to you and your husband.

Quasar