2.2 cm mass inside left kidney

Trucker1
Trucker1 Member Posts: 82
edited September 2017 in Kidney Cancer #1

Hello,

Im 40 years old and I had some blood in urine so I went to Doc got the ultra sound and I had a stone and they found a mass.Just had CT scan and it appears to be contained in kidney lower left pole..No sign of spread. .2 lymph nodes a little swollen on opposite side of body, I was told not to worry about that.Urine and blood have no precancerous cells and all looks good there..Just had the kidney stone removed yesterday. Waiting on Levine Cancer Institutein Charlotte, NC to callet for surgery appt..Oncologist says I should be a candidate for Partial Neph and I should have a long life ahead.

 I PRAY THAT IS THE CASE!!! I have read about every post on here just ready to get this thing started ...Physically I feel for great, mentally it's an up hill climb..

I read I have a 10 percent chance still that it's not cancer?

This forum has really helped me to understand and what may lie ahead. 

Thank you 

 

 

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Comments

  • icemantoo
    icemantoo Member Posts: 3,361 Member
    Clear sailing

    Trucker,

     

     

    Everything you said sounds about right. I could tell you the surgery is painless, but I woulld be laughed off this board.

     

     

    Icemantoo

  • DreamOnDeb
    DreamOnDeb Member Posts: 112
    edited September 2017 #3
    Hi Trucker1,

    Hi Trucker1,

    Your mass is very small at 2.2 cm and it appears to be contained in the kidney, so once it's removed, that should be the end of it and you should have an excellent prognosis!

    My husband had a full nephrectomy on August 21st (due to the location of the tumor and his risk of bleeding because he's on blood thinners).  The operation was a success, and he's doing great now.  From the CT scan, he was told that the tumor was 3.9 cm, but when the pathology report came back, it was only 2.9 cm x 2.3 x 1.5.  This has been the case with many people here where it actually ends up being smaller than previously thought.  My husband does not need any further treatment, and you won't either if it hasn't spread anywhere else.

    We were also told that there was an 18% - 20% chance that it could be something benign (but it wasn't).

    He had robotic, laparoscopic surgery and spent one night in the hospital.

    This is a great place to be.....so many people on this forum have helped both my husband and I get through this when we were newbies and so scared.  Now we're on the other side of it.  I wouldn't say it was "fun," but It wasn't as bad as what we had imagined...lol.

    Sending prayers to you!

  • Angie1496
    Angie1496 Member Posts: 154
    Trucker,

    Trucker,

     

    I will be  weeks post partial neph tomorrow.  My tumor was 4.5cm.  No sign of spread.  I see my Doc tomorrow for surgical follow up then rechecks every 6 months for at least 5 years.   I have found this place a great wealth of knowledge, advice and comfort knowing these guys know what we are going through and can relate.  HOpe everything works a smoothly for you as it has for me!

     

    Angie

  • randyradiohill
    randyradiohill Member Posts: 68 Member
    Me Too

    Hi Trucker

    I was diagnosed a few weeks ago with a 2.5cm mass also on my left kidney.  It's haninging off the bottom and my surgeon is confident that is all they will find.  I am scheduled for a robotic partial neph on October 19th, so I know exactly what you are feeling.  I feel lucky that if I have to go down this road, things are very positive and the outcome looks good.  That being said, the waiting is excrutiating and I get some very dark feelings that take over a couple of times a day.  Mine was discovered quite by accident and I had no symptoms.  I'm playing the waiting game and even though everyone will tell you to not think about it...that's impossible.  Good luck to you.

     

  • foroughsh
    foroughsh Member Posts: 779 Member
    edited September 2017 #6
    May you have uneventful

    May you have uneventful surgery. The first week is going to be tough, every day gets better  with maybe a bad day in between. You're lucky to find out about it so soon. Good cancer free days are yet to come

    Forough

  • Trucker1
    Trucker1 Member Posts: 82
    Thank you

    I hope and pray all things go well for each of us. Thank you all for responding. I hope I'm a 1 and done surgery and then do my scans for the next year's and can die of something else a long time from now! !! I tell you what this has been one heck of an eye opener so far. It sure makes you think about life and how you are or are not living it! I try to stay positive and keep my head up but it can be very trying...The mental part is so tough.. 

  • Retcenturion
    Retcenturion Member Posts: 240 Member
    sorry for the enrollment here

    I'm 6 months from incidentalfind and full Neph Left Kidney. The diagnosis takes your breath away. The wait is awful and your mind is going to go places you would't have thought of before diagnosis. Do your research, there is great info here from recent posts that will help. Try and stay away from Dr Google easier said than done. The surgery was bad but not nearly as bad as I had imagined. The first week will be hard but everyone here has done it. Ask any question that you come up with...they are usually answered pretty fast. Try and stay calm ..sending postive thoughts to you and your family.

  • Basslady78
    Basslady78 Member Posts: 2
    Nephrectomy on August 24

    I had a nephrectomy/ureterectomy on august 24. I had a metastasis to the bladder. Pathology showed cancer was contained in the kidney. the metastasis may have come from the biopsy performed a few weeks before. I had to wait 6 weeks for the nephrectomy because the robot was not available. I'm told the metastasis had not invaded, no blood supply and the margins were clean. I am choosing to believe it is a single event. I will be followed every 3 months with cystoscopy. Although my recovery was quick, home in one day and moving about, I am experiencing hypersensitivity in the skin where the incisions are. Also, my previously flat stomach is now pooching out. I'm hoping this will go down with time. Overall, I am grateful for my surgeon and his expertise with the robotically assisted laporoscopy. I am a nurse and can remember the old days when large incisions and long recovery were the order of the day.

  • DreamOnDeb
    DreamOnDeb Member Posts: 112
    Hi Basslady,

    Hi Basslady,

    Since you had a nephrectomy/ureterectomy and had metastasis to the bladder, it makes more sense that you had Transitional Cell Carcinoma and not Renal Cell Carcinoma.  Transitional Cell Carcinoma acts more like a bladder cancer than a true kidney cancer, which is why they also do a ureterectomy in addition to a nephrectomy.  Is this the case?

  • Trucker1
    Trucker1 Member Posts: 82
    Crazy questions

    Can a small mass be a stage 4? Does CT scan show if the cancer has spread? I should get my appointment for surgery next week..I'm ready yet spooked to get this thing off my kidney and out of me...What's the chances of it coming back? It looks like it comes back on almost everyone or do the people that it dosent come back too quit posting there stories? I'm feeling positive, tons of prayer everyday that i plan to keep with or without cancer..

     

     

  • icemantoo
    icemantoo Member Posts: 3,361 Member
    Answers to your questions.

    Trucker,

     

     

    Yes, Yes. Very unlikely.

    Icemantoo

  • Trucker1
    Trucker1 Member Posts: 82
    Thank you Ice man!!

    Thank you Ice man!!

  • Jparra48
    Jparra48 Member Posts: 28
    Cancer in both kidneys

    I’m 41 years old and have been diagnosed with renal cell carcinoma in both my kidneys and am scheduled for surgery on Monday for my left side. Even though it’s smaller doctor wants to do surgery on that side first because it’s close to my renal vein and artery area. Besides getting up and trying to walk after surgery any other suggestions? I’ll have my right side done in November

     

    im feeling supper stressed but dont  want to fall apart in front of my husband or kids. Can anyone else offer any advise? One other question. Did anyone change their diet after? Perhaps organic eating or minimal protein and more veggies?

  • Steve.Adam
    Steve.Adam Member Posts: 463 Member
    Hi Jparra

    That is a really lousy situation. Will you keep most of your kidneys?

    I think you deserve a message thread of your own. 'add new forum topic' on the main kidney cancer page.

    Diet/lifestyle are obviously crucial for good health. Unfortunately the standard western diet is rubbish.

    I believe that we all need to become experts at our own health, kind of like making a hobby of being healthy.

    Everyone here is interested in kidney cancer, so please feel free to tell us everything and ask us anything.

    Steve.

  • Rockspin
    Rockspin Member Posts: 77
    Jparra48 said:

    Cancer in both kidneys

    I’m 41 years old and have been diagnosed with renal cell carcinoma in both my kidneys and am scheduled for surgery on Monday for my left side. Even though it’s smaller doctor wants to do surgery on that side first because it’s close to my renal vein and artery area. Besides getting up and trying to walk after surgery any other suggestions? I’ll have my right side done in November

     

    im feeling supper stressed but dont  want to fall apart in front of my husband or kids. Can anyone else offer any advise? One other question. Did anyone change their diet after? Perhaps organic eating or minimal protein and more veggies?

    I had total nephrectomy six

    I had total nephrectomy six days ago robotic. I was in the hospital just overnight but stopped taking the opioids after the third day.  After reading quite a bit about cancer I'm going to start eating organic fruit (berries) and veggies along with ionized water. Protein is hard on the kidneys along with potassium and salt.  So after healing I will be cutting down on protein. The surgeon said I needed it while healing. Don't know if this will help but I'm willing to do anything natural to help build up my defenses.

  • icemantoo
    icemantoo Member Posts: 3,361 Member
    Jparra

    Jparra

    As helpful as we try to be ny suggestion to those with bilateral kidney cancer is to get a second opinion as there is no right or wrong answer and each case is unique, Sending good Karma.

     

    Iceman

  • Trucker1
    Trucker1 Member Posts: 82
    Why me?

    Selfish right...That's all I can think of today...Night sweats last night have got me all shaken up today( probably because of my sugar- just diagnosed last year type 2) I have been trying and succeeding at losing weight- just being healthier with food choices and walking a Mile or 2  every night.I was not in bad shape just trying to be in the best shape possible for surgery ..Waiting on my turn at surgery is daunting. Every ache and pain feels like I'm losing this..  My mass is small but man has it taken a huge part of my mind lately...I'm ok with it one hour and anxious as ever the next about it all..My mind feels out of control sometimes...

  • Rockspin
    Rockspin Member Posts: 77
    Trucker1 said:

    Why me?

    Selfish right...That's all I can think of today...Night sweats last night have got me all shaken up today( probably because of my sugar- just diagnosed last year type 2) I have been trying and succeeding at losing weight- just being healthier with food choices and walking a Mile or 2  every night.I was not in bad shape just trying to be in the best shape possible for surgery ..Waiting on my turn at surgery is daunting. Every ache and pain feels like I'm losing this..  My mass is small but man has it taken a huge part of my mind lately...I'm ok with it one hour and anxious as ever the next about it all..My mind feels out of control sometimes...

    I'm a week out from surgery

    I'm a week out from surgery had total nephrectomy and I'm like you. Scared that down the road it will spread but I did read a woman who works in a nursing home had people in theur upper 80s and one at 100 that had a history of kidney cancer  in their background 3 out of 100 patients so that was reassuring. Also there's people like iceman 15 years Free . I'm going to eat healthier walk more often and hope for the best. Try and throw those fears of what if away as best I can. Good luck to you and while the surgery is hard it's not terrible and I'm healing slowly but surely just need to be patient with your body while it's healing.

  • Angie1496
    Angie1496 Member Posts: 154
    edited September 2017 #20
    I felt like my body had

    I felt like my body had betrayed me!  Here I am trying to eat healthy and go to the gym regularly.  ALl my numbers have been good. Almost off BP meds. Then WHAM hit with a flippin' tumor in my kidney.  Not something you can ignore.  I also had problems with fear and worry keeping me awake alot of nights.  But I read the good and the bad and realized that Yeah I have cancer but I was so blessed it was caught early and that it hadn't spread at the time it was found or removed from my body.  The two weeks after surgery were not the most pleasant but when I saw my Doc the first time after and I could talk to him about my tumor and what he saw and the grade etc... I felt so much better!  Try to not worry about it and educate yourself, be aware of what your body is doing and listen to it.  My mass was 4.5cm and looked like a walnut but for about 5 weeks it felt like it was a 500 pound evil being that invaded my peaceful life.  It will get better!  you will probably be like alot of us here and have to be checked regularly. But the odds for us with smaller tumors are alot better than if it wasn't found so early.  I educated myself on the disease of RCC, the surgery and even watched videos and by the time I got to surgery I was a peace with what was happening and not even stressed out the day of surgery.  Today I am thinking less of what if this or that but trying to put the past 8 weeks behind me and look forward to my "normal" routine. But listening to my body a little better than I used to!

  • AnnissaP
    AnnissaP Member Posts: 632 Member
    Angie1496 said:

    I felt like my body had

    I felt like my body had betrayed me!  Here I am trying to eat healthy and go to the gym regularly.  ALl my numbers have been good. Almost off BP meds. Then WHAM hit with a flippin' tumor in my kidney.  Not something you can ignore.  I also had problems with fear and worry keeping me awake alot of nights.  But I read the good and the bad and realized that Yeah I have cancer but I was so blessed it was caught early and that it hadn't spread at the time it was found or removed from my body.  The two weeks after surgery were not the most pleasant but when I saw my Doc the first time after and I could talk to him about my tumor and what he saw and the grade etc... I felt so much better!  Try to not worry about it and educate yourself, be aware of what your body is doing and listen to it.  My mass was 4.5cm and looked like a walnut but for about 5 weeks it felt like it was a 500 pound evil being that invaded my peaceful life.  It will get better!  you will probably be like alot of us here and have to be checked regularly. But the odds for us with smaller tumors are alot better than if it wasn't found so early.  I educated myself on the disease of RCC, the surgery and even watched videos and by the time I got to surgery I was a peace with what was happening and not even stressed out the day of surgery.  Today I am thinking less of what if this or that but trying to put the past 8 weeks behind me and look forward to my "normal" routine. But listening to my body a little better than I used to!

    I too feel like my body has

    I too feel like my body has betrayed me. Exercised my whole life. No drinking or smoking. What did I do wrong? I feel angry about this!!! It also bothers me that I have probably had this for 1 to 2 yrs and had no idea!!!!!