Scared Not sure what to expect Need some advise

Ryanfan

Well I went to the doctor yesterday thinking I was having a problem with my appendix. She examined me and felt that it was probably pain and nausua related to appendix or gallbladder. Dr asked me to have some blood tests and really wanted to do a CT scan just to see if this was an emergency situation or if we had more time to make a care plan. I agreed to the scan and thnak god I did. My appendix and gallbladder where fine the doctor said when she called me last night but she then went on to tell me that I have RCC in my right kidney there is a 2 cm tumor. I also have a tumor in my utarus but it is fibroidal and the tumor in the kidney is top priority. I was told today that I go see a oncoligist Friday to get started on a care plan. I don;t even know exactly what to ask this dr or what to expect him to tell me. From what i have read so far it seems that surgery is first choice for this type of cancer. Help does anyone have any advice on what I should be asking this doctor.

Positive_Mental_Attitude

Welcome to our club that

Welcome to our club that nobody really wants to join, but you found a great place with many great people.  A 2cm tumor is very small (I think mine was 2.9 cm), and will be removed surgically.  Questions to ask your urologist:

1. Will the surgergy be an open surgergy or done robotically/laparoscopically?

2. For a tumor 2 cm, the surgery should be a partial nephrectromy, and ask if the surgery will be a partial (tumor removed, kidney preserved) or radical (tumor and kidney removed) nephrectomy.

Regarding the second point, the first urologist I visited said that he would likely have to remove my entire right kidney because my tumor was a in a trickly location.  I did not feel comfortable with that approach and sought a seecond opinion at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, where I had my surgery.

Don't be afraid to seek a second opinion.

Being scared and confused are completely normal.  I was very scared, especially the day before the surgery.  But like everyone else on this board, evertything turned out well.  I like to look at it this way--like you, my tumor was discovered because I was having a different medical issue that caused a CT scan of my abdomen.  And I am very thankful for that issue, because that tumor would have continued to grow.

As far as other options, the other options are limited.  Maybe your urologist may have another option, but most of the time, surgery is the best route. 

icemantoo

Count yourself lucky

Ryanfan,

Those incidental pains led to a CT scan and the discovery of a tiny to small kidney tunor before it got big and bad and started to spread. The surgery is not fun but we have all been there and done that. Small kidney tumors are usually fully cured with surgery alone. Can't give you any insight on the other problem.  Hopefully you will be put at ease when you meet with the Oncologist.

 

 

 

icemantoo

eug91

welcome Ryanfan-

Sorry you had to join us, but this is a great forum here. It really helped me out when I was first diagnosed. We've all been where you're at now - we got through it and we know you can, too. Let us know if you have any questions or just need to vent. We're here for you. 

As the others have said, you're fortunate to have caught it early. When you meet with your doctor, ask if he/she has experience with RCC (renal cell carcinoma, aka kidney cancer). Will they do the nephrectomy, or will there be another urologic oncologist doing the procedure? Your doctor's explanations may come fast & furious, so considering bringing a notebook or cell phone with you to jot down notes of their answers so you'll be able to remember later. 

You've got this!

LanceHeal

Sorry you have to be here. I

Sorry you have to be here. I too was recently diagnosed. In my case it was an appendix, ct scan and discovery of a 2.9 cm. I have had one urologist plan for Active Surveillance (that’s where they do nothing and watch it closely for growth with scans).  i Am waiting to hear back from the Cleveland Clinic for a second opinion. 

The people here are fantastic and a wealth of knowledge. You have found the right place. 

Bay Area Guy

Positive_Mental_Attitude said:

Welcome to our club that

Welcome to our club that nobody really wants to join, but you found a great place with many great people.  A 2cm tumor is very small (I think mine was 2.9 cm), and will be removed surgically.  Questions to ask your urologist:

1. Will the surgergy be an open surgergy or done robotically/laparoscopically?

2. For a tumor 2 cm, the surgery should be a partial nephrectromy, and ask if the surgery will be a partial (tumor removed, kidney preserved) or radical (tumor and kidney removed) nephrectomy.

Regarding the second point, the first urologist I visited said that he would likely have to remove my entire right kidney because my tumor was a in a trickly location.  I did not feel comfortable with that approach and sought a seecond opinion at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, where I had my surgery.

Don't be afraid to seek a second opinion.

Being scared and confused are completely normal.  I was very scared, especially the day before the surgery.  But like everyone else on this board, evertything turned out well.  I like to look at it this way--like you, my tumor was discovered because I was having a different medical issue that caused a CT scan of my abdomen.  And I am very thankful for that issue, because that tumor would have continued to grow.

As far as other options, the other options are limited.  Maybe your urologist may have another option, but most of the time, surgery is the best route. 

Agree completely with your

Agree completely with your post.  I would add that the urologist you see should be one that specializes in urological oncology.  The only other option for removal is ablation.  In cryogenic-ablation, the tumor is supercooled a few times and that kills the cancer cells.  In RF (radio. Pfrequency) ablation, the opposite happens.  The tumor is subjected to extreme heat which kills the cancer cells.  Both have a 99 - 95% success rate (at least as of 2016 when I was exploring treatments) while surgery for our kind of small tumors has a 99%+ success rate.  I had the surgery because that’s what the doc recommended and because it gets the tumor out rather than killing it and leaving the dead cells inside.

Yeah, it’s a very scary thing to be told you have, but at the size of yours and with the ridiculous advancements in treatments over the last decade, you should be fine after treatment.

Retcenturion

The incidental find again

I was also told I had Cancer through an incidental find. Some great info posted already. Go back and read some past posts. There are many new members with a wealth of info that will ease some anxiety that your feeling. Take a minute and click on " About Me" . Your bio information helps to see where you are at in the journey. Try and not worry on the procedure. You will determine a plan with your Medical Team. The wait will be awful. Whatever procedure you choose will not be pleasant but not nearly as bad as you are imaging now. Recovery happens and you can move on living. Sending some positive thoughts for you and your loved ones.

Ryanfan

Thank you everyone for your

Thank you everyone for your support. I appreciate you taking the time to to help me with this. Knowing that other people feel like I do helps me not to feel so alone. I will definitely ask the questions you all have suggested. I'll update after my appointment. God bless and big hugs to you all