Stage lV RCC

DAT1
DAT1 Member Posts: 5
edited March 2014 in Kidney Cancer #1
What are the treatment options for stage four kidney cancer? I recently lost my mother to this disease. The physicians that diagnosed her basically said that all they could do was to keep her comfortable. It had spread to her lungs,liver,pancreas and thyroid. She only lived two weeks after the diagnosis. There was no visible symptoms other than fatigue and minor lower back pain. Does anyone know of other signs of kidney cancer or support groups?

Thanks

Comments

  • aud252
    aud252 Member Posts: 8
    #2
    Hi! Am sitting here Christmas morning missing my husband who passed away last year from RCC and saw your posting. Thought I would try to answer your inquiry. My husband, Ron, was diagnosed stage IV, RCC in December 2002. He lived 8 months after his diagnosis. He had a nephrectomy (surgery to remove kidney), he tried immunotherapy (IL-2, recommended FDA approved treatment which didn't work), radiation, chemo, and experimental drugs. Some doctors prefer to use Interferon. But your doctors were honest; there is only a very slim chance you mom would have survived. My husband's disease had only metastasized to his lungs when it was discovered (which is stage IV). His doctor only gave him a 5% chance of survival. He too, was asymptomatic. It's an awful thing to say but your mom was lucky to have passed so quickly. The disease combined with treatments (that usually don't work) are usually sought and administered out of desperation. Ron and I were desperate. He was only 50: to young to die. There are stage IV survivors out there but they are the lucky ones.
  • childcaremom
    childcaremom Member Posts: 3
    #3
    HELLO I AM SITTING HERE ON CHRISTMAS NIGHT BEING THINKFUL FOR THIS CHRISTMAS. I AM SORRY TO HERE ABOUT YOUR MOM . YOU SEE MY HUSBAND WHO IS 56 WAS TOLD IN JULY OF 04 THAT HE HAD RCC STAGE 4 IT HAS ALL READY GONE TO SPOTS A LOT OF SPOTS ON HIS LUNGS AND NOW HERE WE ARE IN DEC AND FOUND OUT IT HAS GOTTEN IN TO HIS UPPER LEG BONE. WELL NOW HE HAD A BAD TIME WITH HIS LOWER LEG JUST THE LAST TWO DAYS I HOPE ITS NOT THERE TWO. WE WERE TOLD THAT THERE ARE NO STOPPING IT WHEN ITS THIS FAR .WE ARE SO SCARED
    I NEVER KNOW WHAT IS NEXT AND I DO NOT WONT TO THINK AHEAD SO I AM SURE YOU ARE SAD AT THE LOST BUT WITH IT HAPPENING SO FAST AT LEAST SHE MAY NOT HAVE HAD TO SUFFER AND WORRY ABOUT HOW LONG OR WHEN.MY HUSBAND HAS BEEN IN ALOT OF PAIN THIS WEEK AND THEY ARE GOING TO TRY RADATION ON THE ONE SPOT IN HIS LEG BUT WE HAVE ALREADY BEEN TOLD THAT THEY COULD NOT STOP ALL THE SPOTS THAT MAY BE ON OTHER BONES. I DID NOT MEAN TO BRING YOU DOWN BUT JUST LETTING YOU KNOW THAT THIS IS A FAST MOVEING C AND I TWO HAVE BEEN TOLD THAT THEY COULD TREAT ALOT OF WAYS BUT IT WILL ONELY RUN UP BILLS BECAUSE THERE IS NO CURE AND NOUTHIG WILL HELP JUST MAKE HIM HAPPY AND LET HIM ENJOY WHAT TIME HE MAY HAVE. AT THE TIME FOUND WE WERE TOLD 6M TO 1 1/2 YEARS
    AGAIN SORRY ABOUT YOUR LOST.
  • DAT1
    DAT1 Member Posts: 5
    #4
    aud252 said:

    Hi! Am sitting here Christmas morning missing my husband who passed away last year from RCC and saw your posting. Thought I would try to answer your inquiry. My husband, Ron, was diagnosed stage IV, RCC in December 2002. He lived 8 months after his diagnosis. He had a nephrectomy (surgery to remove kidney), he tried immunotherapy (IL-2, recommended FDA approved treatment which didn't work), radiation, chemo, and experimental drugs. Some doctors prefer to use Interferon. But your doctors were honest; there is only a very slim chance you mom would have survived. My husband's disease had only metastasized to his lungs when it was discovered (which is stage IV). His doctor only gave him a 5% chance of survival. He too, was asymptomatic. It's an awful thing to say but your mom was lucky to have passed so quickly. The disease combined with treatments (that usually don't work) are usually sought and administered out of desperation. Ron and I were desperate. He was only 50: to young to die. There are stage IV survivors out there but they are the lucky ones.

    Thanks for replying to my message. I am sorry to hear about the loss of your husband. My mother was 60. This is a very difficult time of the year for me now. One way that I am dealing with my grief is by learning more about kidney cancer. The American Cancer Society has been very helpful for me. I know that one day I will agree that it was a blessing for my mother to go so fast. She never suffered very much and I am thankful for that.

    Donna
  • aud252
    aud252 Member Posts: 8
    #5
    DAT1 said:

    Thanks for replying to my message. I am sorry to hear about the loss of your husband. My mother was 60. This is a very difficult time of the year for me now. One way that I am dealing with my grief is by learning more about kidney cancer. The American Cancer Society has been very helpful for me. I know that one day I will agree that it was a blessing for my mother to go so fast. She never suffered very much and I am thankful for that.

    Donna

    Donna,
    Another source of information is the National Kidney Cancer Association: phone 1-800-850-9132.(www.kidneycancerassociation.org) When my husband, Ron was ill, they supplied us with a wealth of information. You can download their informational booklets. Also check the National Cancer Institute (www.NCI.gov): lots of information there. Unfortunately, there is not a lot known about kidney cancer nor are there a lot of treatment options for RCC: and when it reaches stage IV , doctors tend to "write off" the patient. I know there are stage IV survivors but they are few and far between. My husband was a "fighter" and even he couldn't beat this horrible disease.

    Hope this helps.
    Aud252 (Audrey)
  • la41950
    la41950 Member Posts: 4
    #6
    I don't know if anyone is here, as it appears this board is not used much. My mom had renal cell carcinoma about ten years ago, at age 65. She had the kidney removed, and the doctor in her small town, nephrologist, didn't recommend further treatment. I don't know what her staging was. Then, the cancer showed up later in her lung. They did kind of write her off. But, I took her to Duke for treatment. I'd had enough of those local docs writing her off. At Duke, she got (I think) 5 FU and Interferon. I believe the interferon was the life saver. Plus, mom didn't know enough to know she was in really bad shape. Sometimes ignorance is bliss. She had a tough time with the chemo and the nausea, sore mouth. But SHE SURVIVED!! She has been cancer free for ten years!! I don't know how that happened! There is hope. Now, I have endometrial cancer, stage 1b2. I'm getting radiation after the surgery for hysterectomy heals.

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