1st Ultrasound since initial finding....

angie328
angie328 Member Posts: 10 Member
in Kidney Cancer #1

Hi all....

I haven't posted the last few months but I do come on  here everyday to read your posts and wanted to update you on things and say hi.  So, yesterday I had my 3 month ultrasound appt. since they found the 9mm lesion on my left kidney back in July during a CT scan for unrelated issues.  Well, after over 1/2 hr. searching...they couldn't find it.  I didn't get to excited since the tech said it is so small and probably wouldn't show up on the ultrasound like it had on the CT, and that apparently, it didn't grow enough for her to find.  So...my Urologist came in and said that he was happy that they couldn't find anything and that if it had grown bigger, it would most likely be seen...so he said to come back late January and have an MRI done to see if it has grown and that I was good to go with my Hysterectomy (unrelated issue) on 11/23.  So that's that for now....he stated that if the MRI showed growth, that with it probably being small, I would be a good candidate for a percutaneous cryobalation....freezing said tumor and taking tissue while in there to see if it was cancer or not and then 3 month scans...he told me that the reaccurance % for cryo. was 10%....I mentioned if it was cancer and small, doing a partial neph. and he told me it would be my decision but if it were him, and it being so small that he would freeze it....

Anyway, that's all I know at this point in the game....just wanted to update you on the situation and tell you how much you all mean to me....I read posts daily and you are all the most informative and inspirational people and I love you guys!!!!

Adding my report from July at bottom....

Hugs and love, 

Angie

FINDINGS:

Limited images obtained through the lung bases are unremarkable.

Pre contrast images demonstrate no calculi within either kidney or within either ureter.

No hydronephrosis is seen. A small exophytic lesion arising from the midpole of the left

kidney posteriorly is hyperdense measuring approximately 56 Hounsfield units on the

pre contrast images. Pre contrast images otherwise unremarkable.

Following contrast administration, the right kidney enhances homogeneously. The lesion

seen arising from the left kidney posteriorly demonstrates borderline enhancement with

a Hounsfield unit measurement of 71. This lesion measures approximately 9 mm in

maximal dimension. The left kidney otherwise enhances homogeneously.

 

 

 

Comments

  • icemantoo
    icemantoo Member Posts: 3,361 Member
    #2
    So far so good

    Angie,

    What you have sounds a little early to say if it will turn into something. Keep following up with the scans and it appears that if anything does develope it will be dealt with early and decisevly. Hopefully you will not have to join our club.

     

    Icemantoo

     

     

     

  • Jan4you
    Jan4you Member Posts: 1,330 Member
    #3
    Good for you. Angie! I wonder

    Good for you. Angie! I wonder though why they are following up with US rather than a CT? Isn't the Ct more accurate?

    Well anyway, glad you are in good hands and things are NOT progressing!

    keep us posted ok?

    Hugs, Jan

  • db8ne1
    db8ne1 Member Posts: 142 Member
    #4
    Wait and See

    Angie,

    Wait and see seems to be an approach when the mass is small.  When 1st discovered via CT, my urologist said that "if it grows, it's cancer and we take it out".  I had other areas on both kidneys that have remain unchanged for several years now - so they are no issue. We watched the suspicious mass grow for 18 months before deciding to remove it.  Of course, I was going through colorectal cancer treatment - stage 3 - during those 18 months, so the kidney mass wasn't priority 1. That said, while it grew - it grew slowly.  Was the slow growth due to the radiation I had for colorectal cancer? Was it due to the FOLFOX chemo I had?  Who knows? (Although since there are different chemo cocktails for different cancers - I doubt the chemo had any effect on my kidney).  I was still Stage 1 RCC when it was removed.  So, if they didn't find yours during the ultrasound, perhaps it is either NOT RCC? or it is a slow grower?  FYI:  I had a couple of ultrasounds (US) looking for the kidney mass - and they couldn't find it on US.  Mine only showed up during CT's and MRI's.

    I, too, was offered a number of options by my kidney cancer surgeon specialist (different doc than my urologist).  Biopsy, cryo, partial neph, full neph.  I didn't opt for the biopsy - why go through that?  It was growing and I wanted it OUT!  Wasn't thrilled about cryo - as my surgeon did also state that the reoccurance - though very low - is still higher than a neph.  He did DaVinci robotic assisted partial neph and I was out of hospital within 24 hours of having surgery.  Quick recovery and no problems since (July 2014).

    Praying for the best results for you!  Keep us posted.

    J

  • Bay Area Guy
    Bay Area Guy Member Posts: 618 Member
    edited October 2016 #5
    db8ne1 said:

    Wait and See

    Angie,

    Wait and see seems to be an approach when the mass is small.  When 1st discovered via CT, my urologist said that "if it grows, it's cancer and we take it out".  I had other areas on both kidneys that have remain unchanged for several years now - so they are no issue. We watched the suspicious mass grow for 18 months before deciding to remove it.  Of course, I was going through colorectal cancer treatment - stage 3 - during those 18 months, so the kidney mass wasn't priority 1. That said, while it grew - it grew slowly.  Was the slow growth due to the radiation I had for colorectal cancer? Was it due to the FOLFOX chemo I had?  Who knows? (Although since there are different chemo cocktails for different cancers - I doubt the chemo had any effect on my kidney).  I was still Stage 1 RCC when it was removed.  So, if they didn't find yours during the ultrasound, perhaps it is either NOT RCC? or it is a slow grower?  FYI:  I had a couple of ultrasounds (US) looking for the kidney mass - and they couldn't find it on US.  Mine only showed up during CT's and MRI's.

    I, too, was offered a number of options by my kidney cancer surgeon specialist (different doc than my urologist).  Biopsy, cryo, partial neph, full neph.  I didn't opt for the biopsy - why go through that?  It was growing and I wanted it OUT!  Wasn't thrilled about cryo - as my surgeon did also state that the reoccurance - though very low - is still higher than a neph.  He did DaVinci robotic assisted partial neph and I was out of hospital within 24 hours of having surgery.  Quick recovery and no problems since (July 2014).

    Praying for the best results for you!  Keep us posted.

    J

    Similar Experience

    I had a similar experience to yours, less the colorectal cancer.  A 15mm lesion was discovered when my primary referred me for a CT after finding microscopic traces of blood in my urine in late 2013 as part of my annual physical.  I was referred to Stanford Hospital and the urologist there recommended monitoring the lesion, since it was very small.  He said that a decent percentage of lesions that size are not malignant.  Like yours and Angie's, mine showed up on CT but not on US.  Fast forward to April, 2016 and, this time, a very good US technician found it.  The radiologist measured it at 18cm, so the urologist figured it was time to treat it.  I was also offered biopsy, cryo and surgery as alternatives.  I dismissed biopsy right away.  No sense in just doing a biopsy when there would be similar discomfort just doing the cryo.  My doctor recommended the surgery based on my overall health (excellent health other than the possible cancer).  He said that the success rate for the surgery was in the high 90% range while the cryo was about 90%, as Angie said.  I opted for the surgery based on that, and based on being psychologically more comfortable at having the lesion completely removed as opposed to having dead tissue inside of me.  I had surgery at 3PM on June 22nd and I was discharged from the hospital the next day at 1PM.

  • icemantoo
    icemantoo Member Posts: 3,361 Member
    #6
    Decimal points

    Bay Area Guy,

     

    Checked your bio. Seems like the 18 cm bugger was really 1.8 cm or 18mm. Now your story makes more sence.

    For this reason and others everyone should fill in their bio under My CSN Space.

     

    Icemantoo

  • daisybud
    daisybud Member Posts: 541 Member
    edited October 2016 #7
    Mine

    Mine also did not show up on US scan only on ct scan then on mri. For that reason I'm not comfortable with US scans, but thats my opinion and personal experience.

    Keep us posted Angie,

    Kim

  • Bay Area Guy
    Bay Area Guy Member Posts: 618 Member
    edited October 2016 #8
    icemantoo said:

    Decimal points

    Bay Area Guy,

     

    Checked your bio. Seems like the 18 cm bugger was really 1.8 cm or 18mm. Now your story makes more sence.

    For this reason and others everyone should fill in their bio under My CSN Space.

     

    Icemantoo

    Oops

    Hey, so I was off by a decimal point.  So sue me.  LOL.  Terrible thing for an old math major to make a mistake like that.  Yes, it was 1.8cm or 18mm.

  • angie328
    angie328 Member Posts: 10 Member
    edited October 2016 #9
    Thank You!

    Thank you all for your input....I'm trying to keep busy and not get to stressed about it, still have my upcoming hyster. surgery on 11/23.  My urologist said that he feels confident that it hasn't grown and we would deal with whatever the findings are after the MRI in January.

    I hope you all are doing well....I'll be sure to keep you posted.  I may not post often in the next few weeks since I probably won't be on here much...so, have a great holiday season and stay positive...hugs to all....

    Angie

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