Recent CT scan shows 5.2 cm mass on right kidney

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Comments

  • Srashedb
    Srashedb Member Posts: 482 Member

    Not impressed

    I went to see the surgeon in San Francisco on Monday and came away very disappointed.

     

    Background - My Santa Rosa Urologist showed me and my husband my CT scan.  We could see the kidney, where the tumor was sitting and its shape.  Along with the confirmation of 2 radiologists, we could see the tumor is spherical in shape and sits towards the top of the right kidney, abutting the liver.

    I went to the office of the surgeon in San Francisco which, can I just say, looked like a cattle call for men with prostate issues.  There were about 10 men sitting in the waiting room which was so small, every time the door opened, someone got a back full of door knob.  The office staff was very rude - handed you a cup and told you to go down the public hall and pee in it, then carry it back through said hall and into the waiting room to deliver it to them.  Not a good first impression.

    Surgeon comes in, talks a bit and then takes the CT scan disk I have brought and goes to look at it.  Comes back in and proceeds to draw a diagram of my tumor - he says it is elongated from the mid-kidney to the top of the kidney and deeply embedded in the kidney.  Bottom line, he doesn't think he can save the kidney - will have to be a full nephrectomy.  Wait, what???  This is in direct conflict with my Urologist (29 years experience) and 2 radiologists.  AND, he wants to do the nephrectomy in an AMBULATORY facility which he just happens to be a partial owner of.  So, you want to take my whole kidney AND send me home the same day?

    My husband and I literally ran out the door while telling him absolutely not.  What is wrong with this picture???  I am now awaiting a referral for a 3rd opinion.  Ugh.  Thanks for listening/reading.

    Just a thought

    speaking not as the patient but as the spouse, my husband's tumor was 10 cm upper pole of the kidney and the surgeon and oncologist work together. The practice is genounitary so there are prostate patients there and both doctors do both.

    before the surger, we were told that it would be done laproscopically but that it might need to be open if facts warranted.

    it is only when the surgery is done that the procedure used can be known and as has been said, surgeons are not known for their bedside manner.

    i know that you are frightened and would prefer a partial but what if there is some overlap with the liver? Don't you want all of it out? Partials, as many here can tell you, are not necessarily a walk in the park.

    i think my point is get as many opinions as you need but let the experts do their work. As an aside, 22 years ago, I was dx with breast cancer and initially wanted a lumpectomy but as things went, I ended up with a double mastectomy and have never looked back. My husband called it a "sacrifice to the gods". I was in my 30's. 22 years have allowed me to see my sons grow up, get married and have my grandchildren.?

    hope this helps you and by the way, my husband did have laproscopic and his recovery was fairly uneventfu. It has been 13 months and so far, he's doing well with no further progression.

    Sarah

  • GSRon
    GSRon Member Posts: 1,303 Member

    Icemantoo

    My Urologist is a surgeon.  He has referred me out based on his belief that this can be a laparoscopic partial nephrectomy which he told me he does not have the skill to do.  He can, however, do it laparoscopic if it is a full nephrectomy.  So, if the 3rd opinion is that it must be a full nephrectomy, then my current Urologist will do the surgery.

    Will let you know after the appt.  Fingers crossed!!

    Sorry you are having a rough

    Sorry you are having a rough time with doctors.  I know it is a bit further, but I suggest you see if you can get in to Stanford.  Dr B. Chung is awesome.  You will be treated with kindness and respect.  And a top notch Kidney Cancer surgeon.  He will most likley want all new scans, a CT and an MRI.  They have the latest equipment and it can make a big difference. 

    Good Luck

    Ron - My $0.02 worth

  • APny
    APny Member Posts: 1,995 Member
    Srashedb said:

    Just a thought

    speaking not as the patient but as the spouse, my husband's tumor was 10 cm upper pole of the kidney and the surgeon and oncologist work together. The practice is genounitary so there are prostate patients there and both doctors do both.

    before the surger, we were told that it would be done laproscopically but that it might need to be open if facts warranted.

    it is only when the surgery is done that the procedure used can be known and as has been said, surgeons are not known for their bedside manner.

    i know that you are frightened and would prefer a partial but what if there is some overlap with the liver? Don't you want all of it out? Partials, as many here can tell you, are not necessarily a walk in the park.

    i think my point is get as many opinions as you need but let the experts do their work. As an aside, 22 years ago, I was dx with breast cancer and initially wanted a lumpectomy but as things went, I ended up with a double mastectomy and have never looked back. My husband called it a "sacrifice to the gods". I was in my 30's. 22 years have allowed me to see my sons grow up, get married and have my grandchildren.?

    hope this helps you and by the way, my husband did have laproscopic and his recovery was fairly uneventfu. It has been 13 months and so far, he's doing well with no further progression.

    Sarah

    If they can’t do a partial

    If they can’t do a partial laproscopically, why not consider an open one? My partial was open. I have a single four inch incisision (smaller than some lap ones) and recovered quickly. I was up and walking the same day of the surgery and out of the hospital in two days. So if there’s no one who wants to attempt it laproscopically but an open version is possible, I would go with the open partial rather than a full lap. It all depends on the tumor location and its involvement with other areas. And yes, I did sign a consent form that the partial may have to convert to a full during surgery. That's always a possiblity.

  • BellaBinksMom
    BellaBinksMom Member Posts: 78
    GSRon said:

    Sorry you are having a rough

    Sorry you are having a rough time with doctors.  I know it is a bit further, but I suggest you see if you can get in to Stanford.  Dr B. Chung is awesome.  You will be treated with kindness and respect.  And a top notch Kidney Cancer surgeon.  He will most likley want all new scans, a CT and an MRI.  They have the latest equipment and it can make a big difference. 

    Good Luck

    Ron - My $0.02 worth

    Thank you

    I actually used to work at Stanford and their facilities are top notch.  Unfortunately, I have an HMO for insurance and they limit me to Sutter Health facilities and doctors. 

  • BellaBinksMom
    BellaBinksMom Member Posts: 78
    Srashedb said:

    Just a thought

    speaking not as the patient but as the spouse, my husband's tumor was 10 cm upper pole of the kidney and the surgeon and oncologist work together. The practice is genounitary so there are prostate patients there and both doctors do both.

    before the surger, we were told that it would be done laproscopically but that it might need to be open if facts warranted.

    it is only when the surgery is done that the procedure used can be known and as has been said, surgeons are not known for their bedside manner.

    i know that you are frightened and would prefer a partial but what if there is some overlap with the liver? Don't you want all of it out? Partials, as many here can tell you, are not necessarily a walk in the park.

    i think my point is get as many opinions as you need but let the experts do their work. As an aside, 22 years ago, I was dx with breast cancer and initially wanted a lumpectomy but as things went, I ended up with a double mastectomy and have never looked back. My husband called it a "sacrifice to the gods". I was in my 30's. 22 years have allowed me to see my sons grow up, get married and have my grandchildren.?

    hope this helps you and by the way, my husband did have laproscopic and his recovery was fairly uneventfu. It has been 13 months and so far, he's doing well with no further progression.

    Sarah

    Thank you for all of your opinions

    I appreciate your post.  

    I have a Urologist who is wonderful, is a surgeon, and can do a full nephrectomy laproscopically.  I am seeking other opinions ONLY because it is his belief that a partial can be done and he freely admits that his laproscopic skills are limited in that regard.  If the next opinion is that it cannot be a partial, then my current Urologist will do the full nephrectomy. 

     

    While I am happy to "let the experts do their work", I am also of the mind set that I have to do what is right and comfortable for me.  When I hear someone telling me something that I know is either not quite true or may be an exaggeration of the situation, I am not likely to feel comfortable allowing them to handle my medical care.  Some doctors tend to recommend what they do best, even if there is an alternative.

     

    In 2003 I went in for an exploratory surgery and came out with a radical hysterectomy and ovarian cancer so I am aware the game can change once they get a look inside.

  • Srashedb
    Srashedb Member Posts: 482 Member

    Thank you for all of your opinions

    I appreciate your post.  

    I have a Urologist who is wonderful, is a surgeon, and can do a full nephrectomy laproscopically.  I am seeking other opinions ONLY because it is his belief that a partial can be done and he freely admits that his laproscopic skills are limited in that regard.  If the next opinion is that it cannot be a partial, then my current Urologist will do the full nephrectomy. 

     

    While I am happy to "let the experts do their work", I am also of the mind set that I have to do what is right and comfortable for me.  When I hear someone telling me something that I know is either not quite true or may be an exaggeration of the situation, I am not likely to feel comfortable allowing them to handle my medical care.  Some doctors tend to recommend what they do best, even if there is an alternative.

     

    In 2003 I went in for an exploratory surgery and came out with a radical hysterectomy and ovarian cancer so I am aware the game can change once they get a look inside.

    Ok, then

    since you used quotation marks, you were responding to me. I am sorry that you are going through this and wish you the best.

    that being said, my comm were made to help you and if they didn't, then so be it. But, please, don't take your anger out on me.

    Sarah

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

    Ok, then

    since you used quotation marks, you were responding to me. I am sorry that you are going through this and wish you the best.

    that being said, my comm were made to help you and if they didn't, then so be it. But, please, don't take your anger out on me.

    Sarah

    Nice, nice

    Nobody meant to offend.

     

    Icemantoo

  • BellaBinksMom
    BellaBinksMom Member Posts: 78
    Srashedb said:

    Ok, then

    since you used quotation marks, you were responding to me. I am sorry that you are going through this and wish you the best.

    that being said, my comm were made to help you and if they didn't, then so be it. But, please, don't take your anger out on me.

    Sarah

    Subjective

    Sarah - Everyone's post/opinion is subjective.  My response is not one of anger and if it appears that way, it is simply my writing style.  I don't want you to think I am ungrateful for help here, or that I am discounting the expert opinions I have received.  I have been through this before and back then, I simply took all expert opinions as truth when the reality is that a doctor will recommend treatment based on what he specializes in.  I thank God I found my current Urologist because that is not his style - he could have told me I needed a full nephrectomy and we would have gone with it.  Instead, he admitted his shortcoming and recommended I seek out someone who could do a partial.  In the grand scheme of things here, I will do what I have to do to make sure I am cancer free because, yes, I want to take every opportunity to make sure this surgery removes all of the tumor.  

     

  • Srashedb
    Srashedb Member Posts: 482 Member

    Subjective

    Sarah - Everyone's post/opinion is subjective.  My response is not one of anger and if it appears that way, it is simply my writing style.  I don't want you to think I am ungrateful for help here, or that I am discounting the expert opinions I have received.  I have been through this before and back then, I simply took all expert opinions as truth when the reality is that a doctor will recommend treatment based on what he specializes in.  I thank God I found my current Urologist because that is not his style - he could have told me I needed a full nephrectomy and we would have gone with it.  Instead, he admitted his shortcoming and recommended I seek out someone who could do a partial.  In the grand scheme of things here, I will do what I have to do to make sure I am cancer free because, yes, I want to take every opportunity to make sure this surgery removes all of the tumor.  

     

    it's all good; confidence in

    it's all good; confidence in your doctor is important and I wish you the best of luck. Please keep posting 

    Sarah

  • BellaBinksMom
    BellaBinksMom Member Posts: 78
    Full nephrectomy

    Hello everyone.  Well, I had my 3rd opinion last week and it appears they will have to do a full nephrectomy.  Urologist/Oncologist in Sacramento said the tumor is too close to the renal artery to get good margins on a partial.  So, I am waiting on a surgery date with my Urologist. 

     

    Of interest, when I had ovarian cancer in 2003/2004, the CT scans of my abdominal area showed something on both kidneys which, back then, they said were simple cysts.  The left continues to be a simple cyst, however, the Urologist/Oncologist in Sacramento said it is quite possible that what they were seeing on my right kidney back then was the start of the tumor.  He said it is very rare for them to run across someone with a 5 cm or larger tumor who may have a CT scan of the tumor before it was actually a "tumor".  We are working on getting my old scans for him as he wants to do a study on it as he believes it may have some educational value. 

    Hoping we can get surgery scheduled soon.