Questions

lobbyist0724

Congratulations!

Congratulations! I am glad that you can now put this behind and focu on the recovery.Take care!

Btw, research shows that small tumors tend to appear larger in CT or Ultrasound imaging most of the time.

Angiebby75

Second opinion, how do you do

Second opinion, how do you do that. Do I just look up a doctor or just ask my urologist office  i have now. I don't want to offend the dr and then not find one to do a second opinion.

Positive_Mental_Attitude

Angiebby75 said:

Second opinion, how do you do

Second opinion, how do you do that. Do I just look up a doctor or just ask my urologist office  i have now. I don't want to offend the dr and then not find one to do a second opinion.

Go to the Cleveland Clinic. 

Go to the Cleveland Clinic.  It is a top hospital in the US.  Don't ask your Doctor for a recommendation.  Do some Google research. 

https://my.clevelandclinic.org/staff/6257-steven-campbell

Also consider Ohio State University Cancer Center.  Here are some doctors there:

https://cancer.osu.edu/find-a-doctor/search-physician-directory/j-paul-monk

https://cancer.osu.edu/find-a-doctor/search-physician-directory/megan-m-merrill

https://cancer.osu.edu/find-a-doctor/search-physician-directory/david-s-sharp

 

Google search each of these doctors and read patient reviews.

Angiebby75

Positive_Mental_Attitude said:

Go to the Cleveland Clinic. 

Go to the Cleveland Clinic.  It is a top hospital in the US.  Don't ask your Doctor for a recommendation.  Do some Google research. 

https://my.clevelandclinic.org/staff/6257-steven-campbell

Also consider Ohio State University Cancer Center.  Here are some doctors there:

https://cancer.osu.edu/find-a-doctor/search-physician-directory/j-paul-monk

https://cancer.osu.edu/find-a-doctor/search-physician-directory/megan-m-merrill

https://cancer.osu.edu/find-a-doctor/search-physician-directory/david-s-sharp

 

Google search each of these doctors and read patient reviews.

Thank u positive mental I

Thank u positive mental I will look into these. 

JerzyGrrl

Angiebby75 said:

Second opinion, how do you do

Second opinion, how do you do that. Do I just look up a doctor or just ask my urologist office  i have now. I don't want to offend the dr and then not find one to do a second opinion.

For a second opinion...

For a second opinion, it depends on how your particular health insurance / health group works. I have an HMO, so I went to my primary care physician who wrote the order, but it was the medical group's referral person who worked with me to make it happen.

As for your physician being offended by your wanting a second opinion? If your physician gets bent out of shape, that's somebody you certainly don't need to deal with. Second opinions are pretty much routine in the industry. When I told my surgeon I was going for a second opinion, he said HE was going to talk to another physician the next day about it, too. I found that amusing, but also sensible (and reassuring... at that point I'd had two physicians with three different opinions).

 

hardo718

2nd opinion

I have an HMO and I asked my primary.  Wasn't comfortable, AT ALL, with the first doctor.  And like Jerzy said, my second & final doctor said he was going to talk with another doctor.  In my opinion, any doctor that gets his/her feathers ruffled about second opinions is one to avoid.  Ego has no place in the O.R.

Best wishes,

Donna~

Angiebby75

hardo718 said:

2nd opinion

I have an HMO and I asked my primary.  Wasn't comfortable, AT ALL, with the first doctor.  And like Jerzy said, my second & final doctor said he was going to talk with another doctor.  In my opinion, any doctor that gets his/her feathers ruffled about second opinions is one to avoid.  Ego has no place in the O.R.

Best wishes,

Donna~

Thanks for the info. I have

Thanks for the info. I have contact a doc for a second opinion only thing it's not until Sep that seems like a long wait. How long did you wait between the discovery and your surgery. 

Max57

Angiebby75

Between the diagnose and the surgery one month form my urologist wanted the monster out as soon as possible....good luck

JerzyGrrl

Angiebby75 said:

Thanks for the info. I have

Thanks for the info. I have contact a doc for a second opinion only thing it's not until Sep that seems like a long wait. How long did you wait between the discovery and your surgery. 

Too long...

Angie, ANY length wait is TOO LONG. I don't mean it's too long medically, I mean it's too long because most of us could easily work ourselves into a state given 24 hours and many of us did. And nearly everyone gets more of a wait than that. With the size of your mass (it's in the smallish category), no need to bolt for the OR. These things tend to grow very slowly, which is good.

My wait was extra lengthy. September is just next month. This is a great time to stock your freezer with your homemade version of a TV dinner, shop for a couple of outfits that are a size or two bigger than normal (your midsection is gonna be tender and a tad swollen after the surgery), and if your house is cluttered - see what you can get rid of. 

Start on your To Do list with the heaviest tasks first, then work your way to the lighter stuff after that. Anything left over you can do in little dabs once you're back home. If you're like the rest of us, you won't be able to lift stuff and you'll have a short attention span. 

So a September second opinion doesn't have to be a deal breaker. 

Take care, and keep us posted!

hardo718

Angiebby75 said:

Thanks for the info. I have

Thanks for the info. I have contact a doc for a second opinion only thing it's not until Sep that seems like a long wait. How long did you wait between the discovery and your surgery. 

I didn't wait long

But then my circumstances were a little different since I worked at the same hospital as many of these doctors.  Literally within a couple of days I had seen the first doctor, requested a second opinion & my primary got me on with a second opinion. That second opinion sent me immediately for a CT that was with & without contrast (the first CT was only without) and called me with results before I even got home!  She then referred me to the actual surgeon within her group, as she does not do surgery.  Everything seemed to move at the speed of sound and in no time it was a thing of my past.  I know not everyone is so fortunate to have the right contacts and my only suggestion is to be your own best advocate and become a thorn in their side.  September really isn't that far off but if it's too long for you, call everyday in hopes of a cancellation and maybe they can squeeze you in somehwere.

Best wishes,

Donna~

Positive_Mental_Attitude

Angiebby75 said:

Thanks for the info. I have

Thanks for the info. I have contact a doc for a second opinion only thing it's not until Sep that seems like a long wait. How long did you wait between the discovery and your surgery. 

I was diagnosed in early May

I was diagnosed in early May 2014.  Was going to wait until September 2014 for surgery, and then got the earliest appointment--which was July 10.  To me, it was more important to be comfortable with my surgeon and the hospital, and waiting was not a big deal.  Even when I asked about September, the surgeon said most people don't want to wait, but he said it was OK to wait. 

Angiebby75

Anyone use Cancer Treatment

Anyone use Cancer Treatment Center of America

Jan4you

Welcome and glad you found us

Welcome and glad you found us, Angie! Remember, the one things we CAN control is our attitude and coping skills. I know easier said than done. Good chance you're stage I will have NO more cancer once it is out of your body! THAT is the good thing about most of us with kidney cancer! No treatment needed after surgery BUT you need to continue your monitoring appoitments for 5 years with your surgeon. 

And no, you will not need to see an oncologist most likly. Your surgeon will do a lab test that determines cancer markers to see if they are ever elevated, along with scans, lung xrays for awhile. Again, Kidney cancer most likely is GONE with the surgery as the treatment. 

You won't know details until the pathologist does their report after examining the tumor, AFTER surgery. Then you'll have a definitive answer.

Have you ever had any surgeries?

We're here for you all the way, if you want us to be.

Sending you CALM, healing vibes to comfort you as you wait. 

Hugs, Jan

 

Angiebby75

Jan4you said:

Welcome and glad you found us

Welcome and glad you found us, Angie! Remember, the one things we CAN control is our attitude and coping skills. I know easier said than done. Good chance you're stage I will have NO more cancer once it is out of your body! THAT is the good thing about most of us with kidney cancer! No treatment needed after surgery BUT you need to continue your monitoring appoitments for 5 years with your surgeon. 

And no, you will not need to see an oncologist most likly. Your surgeon will do a lab test that determines cancer markers to see if they are ever elevated, along with scans, lung xrays for awhile. Again, Kidney cancer most likely is GONE with the surgery as the treatment. 

You won't know details until the pathologist does their report after examining the tumor, AFTER surgery. Then you'll have a definitive answer.

Have you ever had any surgeries?

We're here for you all the way, if you want us to be.

Sending you CALM, healing vibes to comfort you as you wait. 

Hugs, Jan

 

Thank you Jan4you for the

Thank you Jan4you for the kind words. I have have had two c-sections and in 2015 I had a robotic hystercomy due to heavy periods.  I just got the call from the original urologist office regarding the date and time of the biopsy. I am still trying to determine if I am going to have it done. I would like to see the second dr before I get it done. But thats like 4 weeks away.  I am really scared to have it done if I will still need the surgery anyway. I am just not clear what  is he trying to determine.

medic1971

Hello Angie

So here's my 2 cents as a kidney cancer survivor and as someone who works in healthcare.

First and foremost get a second opinion at a major cancer hospital.  I understand you don't want to offend your doctor, but this is your life we are talking about, screw other people's feelings.  The goal here is to remove the tumor and try to save as much renal unit as possible.  If given a choice between Cleveland Clinic and Cancer Treatment Centers of America, I would pick Cleveland Clinic every day of the week and twice on Sunday.  Cleveland is one of the top ranked cancer hospitals in the US. 

As far as the biopsy, I would wait and get a second opinion before you had that done, but that's just me.  Your doctor is trying to determine if in fact this tumor is cancer or something else.  If it's not cancer then it can be safely watched.  The fact of the matter is that no will know for sure what this is until they get it under a microscope and that goes for the size also.  It's not uncommon for the tumor to be a different size than what's on the scans.

I waited 4 months between when they discovered the tumor and when I had surgery.  I went to MD Anderson and they found a second tumor that was missed on my original scans!  My doctor at MD Anderson even had an idea what the pathology was based on the CT scan.  He wouldn't tell me what he thought it was, he just simply said that the tumor did not look like a clear cell carcinoma.  It turned out to be chromophobe X 2.  One was 2.2cm and the other was 0.8cm and I kept more than 95% of my kidney.  That was two years ago and so far my scans are clear.

 

Good luck and keep us posted. 

Angiebby75

medic1971 said:

Hello Angie

So here's my 2 cents as a kidney cancer survivor and as someone who works in healthcare.

First and foremost get a second opinion at a major cancer hospital.  I understand you don't want to offend your doctor, but this is your life we are talking about, screw other people's feelings.  The goal here is to remove the tumor and try to save as much renal unit as possible.  If given a choice between Cleveland Clinic and Cancer Treatment Centers of America, I would pick Cleveland Clinic every day of the week and twice on Sunday.  Cleveland is one of the top ranked cancer hospitals in the US. 

As far as the biopsy, I would wait and get a second opinion before you had that done, but that's just me.  Your doctor is trying to determine if in fact this tumor is cancer or something else.  If it's not cancer then it can be safely watched.  The fact of the matter is that no will know for sure what this is until they get it under a microscope and that goes for the size also.  It's not uncommon for the tumor to be a different size than what's on the scans.

I waited 4 months between when they discovered the tumor and when I had surgery.  I went to MD Anderson and they found a second tumor that was missed on my original scans!  My doctor at MD Anderson even had an idea what the pathology was based on the CT scan.  He wouldn't tell me what he thought it was, he just simply said that the tumor did not look like a clear cell carcinoma.  It turned out to be chromophobe X 2.  One was 2.2cm and the other was 0.8cm and I kept more than 95% of my kidney.  That was two years ago and so far my scans are clear.

 

Good luck and keep us posted. 

Thank you medic1971 I think I

Thank you medic1971 I think I am going to wait for the second opinion visit before any biopsy. Everyone's story gives me hope and a better understanding of this. I'm glad to hear of your success. I really have been feeling so overwhelmed and down. This forum really helps. 

Angiebby75

Angiebby75 said:

Thank you medic1971 I think I

Thank you medic1971 I think I am going to wait for the second opinion visit before any biopsy. Everyone's story gives me hope and a better understanding of this. I'm glad to hear of your success. I really have been feeling so overwhelmed and down. This forum really helps. 

Waiting on my second opinion

Waiting on my second opinion doctor appt  in two weeks  has been really hard. My mind wonders any new aches or pains are causing me my mind to wonder. Since one radiologist said the para aortic lymph node look slightly enlarged and the first urologist not sure and wanting to biopsy it and the mass . What other reasons can it be enlarged. How would that make the treatment different. I really didn't get that answered with the dr. 

sblairc

Angiebby75 said:

Waiting on my second opinion

Waiting on my second opinion doctor appt  in two weeks  has been really hard. My mind wonders any new aches or pains are causing me my mind to wonder. Since one radiologist said the para aortic lymph node look slightly enlarged and the first urologist not sure and wanting to biopsy it and the mass . What other reasons can it be enlarged. How would that make the treatment different. I really didn't get that answered with the dr. 

Were you sick? Lymph nodes swell when they do their job!

It's my basic understanding they swell then they work to fight off infections and virusus. I had my daugher checked for one on her neck once (very noticible and I could feel it) and swelling went away eventually.