Options Post Surgery

DonMiller
DonMiller Member Posts: 109
edited February 2013 in Kidney Cancer #1

Hi Everyone I am 57 years old and had been diagnosed with a herniated disk many years ago.  This past summer it really started to hurt and the orthopedist sent me for an MRI.  Several days later he called at 8.00PM on my cell  and told me I had a large mass on my left kidney.  I had surgery three weeks later. The tumor was 11CM T3a Grade 3.  I had no symptoms and luckily was not aware of my prognosis until after the surgery.   I am frustrated by the “active surveillance” protocol.  I went for a second opinion to an oncologist at Sloan Kettering.  I feel I should be pro active. This waiting every four months for a scan and blood test is hard to accept. 

Comments

  • garym
    garym Member Posts: 1,647
    #2
    Welcome to the club...

    Hi Don,

    Wasn't that initiation a blast?  Yeah right!  I'm not sure what surveillance protocol you are scheduled for and it should be based on the pathology report, but assuming no evidence of metastic disease the standard would be something like CT scans, chest x-ray and bloodwork every 6 months for the first five years and perhaps annually after that, the 3's are probably the reason for 4 month intervals.  If there was anything of greater concern in the patyology, every 3 months for the first year might be called for.  That's about as proactive as it gets since most RCC grows slowly, so it sounds like you are being treated properly.  If you are willing to share a bit more from your pathology report there are members here that could help more than I.  It takes awhile to get used to all of this, but you will.

    Hang in there,

    Gary

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