need help

billmc
billmc Member Posts: 9

Hi Everyone,

Let me first wish every single one of you the best of luck fighting cancer. you are all in thoughts and prayers.

My mother and father just informed me that he as a 1 cm tumor on the upper part of his kidney. they had the scans and the meeting with the Urologist. They keep me out of it because they did not want to worry me.

My father had a bout with Colon cancer 8 years ago and the Urologist said this is not related. The urologist said this is a very early cancer and when he cuts it out we need to forget about it. its not serious.

He said that he may also try to freeze it out. Cyroablation? i have done some research and i am just not sure of it. Lastly, the Urologist said its fine to schedule the surgery for mid dec. This is another one of my concerns.

So i am asking you all for a little advice.

1. is a 1cm tumor early?

2. Can they tell whether it invaded the renal vein?

3. Is cyroablatin or cyrotherapy safe.

and lastly is alright to wait a couple of months. .

They did notice a shadow back in 2011.  so i am thinking its a slow growing tumor.

Thanks again for everything

Bill

Comments

  • Sandi45
    Sandi45 Member Posts: 25
    Hello and welcome. I am new

    Hello and welcome. I am new to this board and this illness, too, for the most part so I probably don't have a lot of wisdom to share with you. The only thing I know is that a 1 cm tumor is small and sounds like it has been caught early. I have read great things about freezing of the smaller tumors, but have not had that experience. Just in comparison my cancer tumor is nearly 7cm. It was discovered about 2 weeks ago and my sugery is scheduled for the 18th of Sept. 

  • icemantoo
    icemantoo Member Posts: 3,361 Member
    Sandi45 said:

    Hello and welcome. I am new

    Hello and welcome. I am new to this board and this illness, too, for the most part so I probably don't have a lot of wisdom to share with you. The only thing I know is that a 1 cm tumor is small and sounds like it has been caught early. I have read great things about freezing of the smaller tumors, but have not had that experience. Just in comparison my cancer tumor is nearly 7cm. It was discovered about 2 weeks ago and my sugery is scheduled for the 18th of Sept. 

    Bill's dad

    Bill,

     

    Your dad is one lucky guy as far as Kidney Cancer is concerned. At 1 cm it is just a little buggar too small to cause any harm. His prognosis from the surgery alone is as ckose to a full Cancer free recovery as you can get. As far as details of the tumor and whether or not freezing it is the best choice your dad's doctor is the best source  of that information. The Cyber is a newer technique and there have been a few bad reactions from it on this board. My surgery was 11 years ago before CYber was an option.

     

    Icemantoo

  • billmc
    billmc Member Posts: 9
    icemantoo said:

    Bill's dad

    Bill,

     

    Your dad is one lucky guy as far as Kidney Cancer is concerned. At 1 cm it is just a little buggar too small to cause any harm. His prognosis from the surgery alone is as ckose to a full Cancer free recovery as you can get. As far as details of the tumor and whether or not freezing it is the best choice your dad's doctor is the best source  of that information. The Cyber is a newer technique and there have been a few bad reactions from it on this board. My surgery was 11 years ago before CYber was an option.

     

    Icemantoo

    bills dad

    Thank you guys. Icemantoo, thank you for the encouragement. I feel as good as you can with the "C" word.

  • GSRon
    GSRon Member Posts: 1,303 Member
    Hi Bill.. your Dad should be

    Hi Bill.. your Dad should be very lucky indeed..!

    1 - At 1 CM it is very tiny.. amazing it was even found..!  FYI, mine was about 12 times that size..!

    2. Yes they can tell with a good clear scan, most likely with contrast.  Doubt that has happened.. the Dr will know for sure... Or get a copy of the scan notes.

    3. Yes - on the other techniques, but I wonder if removal will be better as a diagnostic tool of what it really is.  It may not be Cancer.?  And even if it is Cancer, generally RCC is slow growing, I see numbers like less than 1 cm per year mentioned here..  again your Dr should know.

    But, speaking of Doctors, sounds like you got a good one.. you may wish to share more details, as others here may offer suggestions... and others would correct me if I mis-spoke.

    Ron

  • billmc
    billmc Member Posts: 9
    GSRon said:

    Hi Bill.. your Dad should be

    Hi Bill.. your Dad should be very lucky indeed..!

    1 - At 1 CM it is very tiny.. amazing it was even found..!  FYI, mine was about 12 times that size..!

    2. Yes they can tell with a good clear scan, most likely with contrast.  Doubt that has happened.. the Dr will know for sure... Or get a copy of the scan notes.

    3. Yes - on the other techniques, but I wonder if removal will be better as a diagnostic tool of what it really is.  It may not be Cancer.?  And even if it is Cancer, generally RCC is slow growing, I see numbers like less than 1 cm per year mentioned here..  again your Dr should know.

    But, speaking of Doctors, sounds like you got a good one.. you may wish to share more details, as others here may offer suggestions... and others would correct me if I mis-spoke.

    Ron

    Ron,
    Thank you Sir,
    I will

    Ron,

    Thank you Sir,

    I will keep you posted. I appreciate your input. wish none of you had to go through this. I wish i would have found something like this 8 years ago for colon cancer. My problem is when a loved one gets info like this i research the heck out of it. I do think the more you read the worse you feel. haha. But i like to be armed and informed to help my parents make the right decisions. Please keep in touch and posted. Ron. You also Icemantoo.

    I dont like the waiting for a couple of months till the surgery but from what i found, sometimes they do wait to see what it does. I guess if the doc is fine with that there was nothing TOO serious on the scans.


    Thanks again

  • Galrim
    Galrim Member Posts: 307

    At 1 cm its almost close to impossible to be caught earlier. So unless your father is extremely unlucky or turns out to have a very agressive subtype, this is probably the last he will see of RCC, all things given.

    Cryo is used in some cases on very small tumors and is a proven method. No need to worry over the surgeons choice.

    /G

  • billmc
    billmc Member Posts: 9
    Galrim said:

    At 1 cm its almost close to impossible to be caught earlier. So unless your father is extremely unlucky or turns out to have a very agressive subtype, this is probably the last he will see of RCC, all things given.

    Cryo is used in some cases on very small tumors and is a proven method. No need to worry over the surgeons choice.

    /G

    Thank you Galrim. I truly

    Thank you Galrim. I truly appreciate it.

    BIll

  • foxhd
    foxhd Member Posts: 3,181 Member
    billmc said:

    Thank you Galrim. I truly

    Thank you Galrim. I truly appreciate it.

    BIll

    1Cm ?

    How did they find such a small lesion? There couldn't have been much pain or dysfunction. Was it routine follow up? In any event if they are talking about removing it, do it. There is no reason to worry about the surgery. Healing happens. I'm afraid that some people put medical care which is mostly routine on hold due to fear. The consequences are always worse.

  • billmc
    billmc Member Posts: 9
    foxhd said:

    1Cm ?

    How did they find such a small lesion? There couldn't have been much pain or dysfunction. Was it routine follow up? In any event if they are talking about removing it, do it. There is no reason to worry about the surgery. Healing happens. I'm afraid that some people put medical care which is mostly routine on hold due to fear. The consequences are always worse.

    They found it by accident

    They found it by accident Foxhd. the noticed it back in march on a routine check for other issues.

  • Djinnie
    Djinnie Member Posts: 945 Member
    billmc said:

    They found it by accident

    They found it by accident Foxhd. the noticed it back in march on a routine check for other issues.

    Surgery!

    Hi Bill, 

    I am not so sure about cryo, but I do have experience of Radio Frequency Ablation which is used to teat smaller tumours. It is less invasive and far less traumatic. I would be happy to relate my experience if that was something that interested you! How old is you Father!

     

    Djinnie x

     

  • billmc
    billmc Member Posts: 9
    Djinnie said:

    Surgery!

    Hi Bill, 

    I am not so sure about cryo, but I do have experience of Radio Frequency Ablation which is used to teat smaller tumours. It is less invasive and far less traumatic. I would be happy to relate my experience if that was something that interested you! How old is you Father!

     

    Djinnie x

     

    Hi Dijinnie,
    He is 67. he had

    Hi Dijinnie,

    He is 67. he had colon cancer 8 years ago. then he had mesh put in for hernias. The Urologist said its a small tumor and he will attempt to freeze it. any advice would be great.

    Bill

  • Djinnie
    Djinnie Member Posts: 945 Member
    billmc said:

    Hi Dijinnie,
    He is 67. he had

    Hi Dijinnie,

    He is 67. he had colon cancer 8 years ago. then he had mesh put in for hernias. The Urologist said its a small tumor and he will attempt to freeze it. any advice would be great.

    Bill

    Hi Bill, 
    I had a partial

    Hi Bill, 

    I had a partial nephrectomy five months ago,and as you will have read on here it takes a lot out of you. That is why I was wondering about your Dad's age. My father had major surgery for cancer when he was 69yrs and it was hard on him.

    I had a 2 1/2 cm tumour in 2013, I was in Dallas then. The surgeon offered RFA because it seemed to work pretty well on small tumours. It was a four hour surgery then, I am not sure how long they take now. I had four very small wounds in my abdomin, which were all taped. I was very sore for a few days, but not severe pain. The partial nephrectomy leaves you with severe tiredness, with RFA you don't have that problem. I was in hospital 2days, but completely mobile, the recovery is very quick! You have to take care not to lift and stretch, which is normal after any procedure. I have had a few surgeries and for me that was by far the easiest one to recover from.

    All the best to your Dad, I am sure you will find the best treatment for him:)

     

    Djinnie x

  • billmc
    billmc Member Posts: 9
    Djinnie said:

    Hi Bill, 
    I had a partial

    Hi Bill, 

    I had a partial nephrectomy five months ago,and as you will have read on here it takes a lot out of you. That is why I was wondering about your Dad's age. My father had major surgery for cancer when he was 69yrs and it was hard on him.

    I had a 2 1/2 cm tumour in 2013, I was in Dallas then. The surgeon offered RFA because it seemed to work pretty well on small tumours. It was a four hour surgery then, I am not sure how long they take now. I had four very small wounds in my abdomin, which were all taped. I was very sore for a few days, but not severe pain. The partial nephrectomy leaves you with severe tiredness, with RFA you don't have that problem. I was in hospital 2days, but completely mobile, the recovery is very quick! You have to take care not to lift and stretch, which is normal after any procedure. I have had a few surgeries and for me that was by far the easiest one to recover from.

    All the best to your Dad, I am sure you will find the best treatment for him:)

     

    Djinnie x

    update. my mother called. my

    update. my mother called. my dad had his yearly colonoscopy since he had colon cancer 8 years ago. We have a fantastic colorectal surgeon who will tell it like it is. he is great. He told my mom and dad not to wait. you have a chance to take care of this now do it. dont borrow trouble. my dad is stubborn. that doc would be the only one to convince him to go. he said let me look at the report. he pulled it up and said he isnt a urologist but he wanted to show my parents where it is. I guess its around 1cm in the upper part of the right kidney. just a little bump protruding from the kidney. the ultrasound does show clear contrast between the mass and normal kidney tissue. but there was things bouncing back to the ultrsound that was suspecious. So i think they are going to call and get it scheduled. Does it matter which kidney its in or what part of the kidney in terms of disease free survival?

     

    thanks everyone,

    Bill

  • Djinnie
    Djinnie Member Posts: 945 Member
    billmc said:

    update. my mother called. my

    update. my mother called. my dad had his yearly colonoscopy since he had colon cancer 8 years ago. We have a fantastic colorectal surgeon who will tell it like it is. he is great. He told my mom and dad not to wait. you have a chance to take care of this now do it. dont borrow trouble. my dad is stubborn. that doc would be the only one to convince him to go. he said let me look at the report. he pulled it up and said he isnt a urologist but he wanted to show my parents where it is. I guess its around 1cm in the upper part of the right kidney. just a little bump protruding from the kidney. the ultrasound does show clear contrast between the mass and normal kidney tissue. but there was things bouncing back to the ultrsound that was suspecious. So i think they are going to call and get it scheduled. Does it matter which kidney its in or what part of the kidney in terms of disease free survival?

     

    thanks everyone,

    Bill

    Positioning!

    Hi Bill,

    There are concerns if near a blood supply. My first tumour was right at the top of my right kidney, I had it ablated ten years ago. My second tumour looked like a thumbs up on the top of my kidney yet again. My surgeon said if you are going to have a tumour you couldn't pick a better place.

     

    All the best

     

    Djinnie