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Second opinion?
Hi all-
I received my pathology report a few days ago. 2.2cm clear cell carcinoma of the R kidney removed via partial nephrectomy. Grade 2 and pT3a. I was told on the report that the margins are not clear and that cells have spread to a segmental branch of the renal vein.
My doctor told me he feels very confident that they got everything during my surgery, and he says that no further treatment is needed at this time. I am basically just supposed to wait until my 6 month follow up scan to make sure that nothing comes back.
I am very new to all of this. My doctor is very experienced and I really do like him, but someone asked me if I was going to get a second opinion just in case. I hadn't even considered this. Did you guys get second opinions on your pathology reports/courses of treatment? I don't even know where to begin or if this is standard practice.
Any advice would be appreciated :)
Comments
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First off, congrats on getting through your neph. Hopefully your healing is going well.
The six month wait before the follow-up scan is pretty standard. Especially in a case like yours where things look good and the doctor believes they got it all. But if you have any concerns, don't be afraid to bring them up to your doctor. He/she can further explain to you their thinking.
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I did go for a 2nd opinion on the pathology. I would go for a second opinion if you are in doubt or if your doctor is not an RCC specialist. Also, it sounds like you do not have a copy of your pathology report, so it is good to get a copy so you know exactly what you are facing as well. But don't worry too much as it's a small tumor and low grade to start with. All the best!
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If the pathology report is questionable, it may not hurt to get a second opinion from another pathologist to ease your mind. Every doctor specializes in different things. It sounds like your Urologist is just relying on the pathologists report - he likely won't necessarily be able to offer you any additional info.
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I agree with misterace, it doesn't hurt another pair of eyes to take a look at your case. At the end of the day, it is something that affects our prognosis, and dictates our follow-up plan!
Also, I had an Ultrasound one month after my surgery, my doc said because I had a partial, he want to get a baseline of the surgery site for future comparison.
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Just to update- I went for my second opinion yesterday. My 2nd doc basically agreed with the 1st. He did say it was somewhat unusual to see vein involvement in a small tumor, but that it happens. He also said that doing a 3 month follow up scan for me wouldn’t make much sense bc I wouldn’t be fully healed and the scan could be inconclusive.
He did recommend doing a follow up MRI as opposed to a CT scan, bc if there is reoccurrence or spread to the renal vein, it will more likely show up on an MRI.
Im relieved but also hate that I just have to wait and see what the follow up scan shows. In the meantime though, I’m just going to try and take things day by day and enjoy my life!
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