Not sure what to do, hoping for some suggestions

Misty789

I'm 50 and had an ultrasound for upper left abdominal/ flank pain. " Indeterminate nodule adjacent to the left kidney, extending towards the spleen". It is 1.5 cm. They suggested CT or MRI.   I went with MRI, but because I have alergies, no contrast.  

MRI :  "There are mulple tiny round, T2 high signal lesions throughout the hepac parenchyma, these are limited in evaluaon due to lack of IV contrast. Inferior to spleen is a 1.1 cm lesion which demonstrates similar characteriscs to the splenic parenchyma"

My primary care doctor told me to do nothing. 

I called the radiologist and he said he can not rule out renal cancer.

I am completely confused.  I can't do nothing, it's on my mind all the time.  But I don't know what to do...  Please any suggestions?

 

icemantoo

Misty,

Your description so far is that you have a tiny something or other which could be renal cancer. Get yourself to a Urologist WHO DEALS WITH RENAL CANCER. It is still vey small and they may watch and wait for a short period. You may have a great primary doctor but this is not what Primary doctors evaluate and treat. And by the way if it should turn out to be Renal Cancer your prognosis is excellent.

 

Icemantoo

Misty789

icemantoo said:

Misty,

Your description so far is that you have a tiny something or other which could be renal cancer. Get yourself to a Urologist WHO DEALS WITH RENAL CANCER. It is still vey small and they may watch and wait for a short period. You may have a great primary doctor but this is not what Primary doctors evaluate and treat. And by the way if it should turn out to be Renal Cancer your prognosis is excellent.

 

Icemantoo

Exactly

Thanks Iceman,  

My primary is crappy.  I've only seen her one time for this pain. She called me after the U/S and said that it could be renal cancer, on the phone, just like that. Now she is saying to do nothing. 

I will follow your advice.  

Thanks much.

Bay Area Guy

Hi Misty.  I had a 1.5cm

Hi Misty.  I had a 1.5cm something that was discovered incidentally in late 2013.  My primary, a doc I have a lot of faith in, referred me to a urological oncologist at Stanford University here in the SF Bay Area.  His 2013 advice, given the size, was to wait and monitor.  We did until April, 2016, when an ultrasound definitively identified the something as hacing grown slightly to 1.8 cm.  He recommended at that time to have it removed, which I did, also at Stanford, in June, 2016.  When he recommended monitoring in 2013, my first question was to ask the risk of growth and spread.  He said RCC is typically very slow growing, so the risk of monitoring was negligible.  However, he did say that if I couldn't psychologically stand the thought of it being there, he could take it out immediately.  But his recommendation was wait so that he did not reduce kidney function unless it was necessary.  I chose to wait.  Your urologist may give you the same choice.

Misty789

Bay Area Guy said:

Hi Misty.  I had a 1.5cm

Hi Misty.  I had a 1.5cm something that was discovered incidentally in late 2013.  My primary, a doc I have a lot of faith in, referred me to a urological oncologist at Stanford University here in the SF Bay Area.  His 2013 advice, given the size, was to wait and monitor.  We did until April, 2016, when an ultrasound definitively identified the something as hacing grown slightly to 1.8 cm.  He recommended at that time to have it removed, which I did, also at Stanford, in June, 2016.  When he recommended monitoring in 2013, my first question was to ask the risk of growth and spread.  He said RCC is typically very slow growing, so the risk of monitoring was negligible.  However, he did say that if I couldn't psychologically stand the thought of it being there, he could take it out immediately.  But his recommendation was wait so that he did not reduce kidney function unless it was necessary.  I chose to wait.  Your urologist may give you the same choice.

prior U/S 10 months ago

Hi Bay Area Guy.  

I read up on it and understand what you are saying.   I had an U/S 10 months prior due to gallbladder polyp, and at that time, there were no issues with any nodules around the left kidney.  

I asked my doctor: 'Did this 1.4 mm nodule grow in just 10 months?"   She said" "Maybe, or not. They could have missed it before."

So, it was either missed, or it grew 1.4 mm in 10 months.   I just don't see why I would take a chance to see it grow some more... Seems like it may be growing pretty good already.  And if the radiologists are going around missing nodules, that idea also scares me...

 

Kat23502

Just to clarify, is that

Just to clarify, is that "hepatic parenchyma"? What did they say about that? It sounds like the portion images by your spleen could be what is allied a splenule, which is extra splenic tissue that presents as a small mass. On advanced imaging it will show parenchyma characteristics of the spleen. However, having an opinion of someone other than your primary care physician is best just to be sure! Do you have your report? Is there an "impression" portion?

JTgreybeard

CT or Ultra Sound

Mine was found back in outober of 2016 via a CT Scan.  At that time it was 1cm.  I had diverticulitus at that time so We (Myself and Urological Oncologist) decided to wait for a while for that to heal up.  We waited till Feb 2017 then I had a Ultra Sound (Reactions to CT With Contrast) and it came out clean.  Nothing found.  The DR then ordered a CT with contrast just to make sure.  For 5 Days I was so happy thinking it was gone I can't tell you how good that felt.  Did the CT Scan with premedication to help with reaction.  Still reacted but it showed it was still there and that it has grown a little.  It Is now about 1.4cm in size.  The doom and gloom hit again and reality kicked in, that I was not clear.  Seemed much harder this time because I had convinced myself that I was Healed.  I am telling you this because the stuff is very slow growing.  Mine did grow 4mm in 5 months.  4mm is very little.  I will say the waiting is not fun but sometimes it might be best.  I would talk to the Urological Oncologist and see what they suggest.  I am now scheduled for surgery on Apr 11th  I was given the option of watching it for a while but I just don't do waiting very good.  I just want it OUT OF ME!!!  

Bay Area Guy

Misty and JT.  My experience

Misty and JT.  My experience with CT versus US was similar.  A CT found my little bugger in December, 2013, but an US taken just a week later indicated nothing.  Six months later (as I chose to do the monitoring the urologist suggested) and the CT indicated it had stayed the same.  Six months after that, US again showed nothing, but a CT indicated no change.  Finally, in April, 2016, an US indicated that it had grown a fraction, so out it came.

I asked, but never really got a good explanation, as to why US would not show anything while CT did.  The explanation I got was that "sometimes it happens".

Misty789

Thank you guys

Thank you guys for your stories.  It helps to know that errors happen and I need follow-up. (My primary told me no follow-up needed.)

CRashster

Odd.

I find it odd that the radiologist is diagnosing.

Misty789

Well guys, I did see a

Well guys, I did see a urologist. He looked over everything and said that the best thing to do is another U/S in 6 months to see if anything changes.   He thinks the mass is most likely a splenule (Kat your guess was on point), but he can't be 100% sure.  The multiple lessions in the liver are most likely benign hemangiomas.

So, follow-up in 6 months.

Thanks all for your support and comments.  It was really helpful.