I am a Survior!

ytak28
ytak28 Member Posts: 12
in Kidney Cancer #1
Hi all- just wanted to give a quick update- First I am feeling great! Each day things get a little easier, I finally made it home (I had been staying at my moms) and finally fealing like my life is getting back to normal. I got my pathology results yesterday and I am cancer free- stage was pT1a, 2.3cm tumor with no renal vein invation, but the fuhrman grade was 2 which I'm not sure I understand. My doc said the stage was more important- can someone explain what the difference is between the stage and the fuhrman grade? Doc said we now do survalence- I go back in 6 months if all is clear I will get scans once a year just to keep an eye on things. Is this a normal "follow up" schedule? I'm so glad this is almost behind me but there is this little voice that keeps saying "whatever caused this tumor could cause another..." I hope everyone is doing well and thanks again for all your help and support!!

Comments

  • MikeK703
    MikeK703 Member Posts: 235
    #2
    Good News!
    Hi,
    I'm glad to hear the good news. Your stage and grade are the same as mine. The higher the grade the worse the prognosis. Grade 1 is really good. Grade 2 is good. Grade 3 is not as good as 1 and 2 but better than Grade 4. Here is a web page that will explain it better than I can:
    http://cancerguide.org/rcc_staging.html
    Regards,
    Mike
  • One Lucky Girl
    One Lucky Girl Member Posts: 68
    #3
    MikeK703 said:

    Good News!
    Hi,
    I'm glad to hear the good news. Your stage and grade are the same as mine. The higher the grade the worse the prognosis. Grade 1 is really good. Grade 2 is good. Grade 3 is not as good as 1 and 2 but better than Grade 4. Here is a web page that will explain it better than I can:
    http://cancerguide.org/rcc_staging.html
    Regards,
    Mike

    Yup, me too!
    Hi Katy,

    I'm so happy to hear all is going so well for you. Like you and Mike, I was also a Stage 1 Grade 2 (papillary RCC). My doctor told me not to concern myself at all about the Grade because the Stage is more important. (Of course, I have read the statistics as well). My follow-ups will be every 6 months (MRI alternating with ultra-sound), but my urologist said the chance of recurrence is extremely slim.
  • adobe
    adobe Member Posts: 72
    #4
    One Lucky Girl said:

    Yup, me too!
    Hi Katy,

    I'm so happy to hear all is going so well for you. Like you and Mike, I was also a Stage 1 Grade 2 (papillary RCC). My doctor told me not to concern myself at all about the Grade because the Stage is more important. (Of course, I have read the statistics as well). My follow-ups will be every 6 months (MRI alternating with ultra-sound), but my urologist said the chance of recurrence is extremely slim.

    Good News
    Happy that things went well for you! My follow-ups were every six months with a ct scan. I have always wondered why some have ct scans, some MRI, or Ultra-sound, and some have PET scans . Anyone have any information?
  • MikeK703
    MikeK703 Member Posts: 235
    #5
    adobe said:

    Good News
    Happy that things went well for you! My follow-ups were every six months with a ct scan. I have always wondered why some have ct scans, some MRI, or Ultra-sound, and some have PET scans . Anyone have any information?

    Types of tests
    Adobe,
    I had surgery 19 months ago and have had two chest x-rays and an ultrasound of my remaining kidney. I also had a bone scan for a different reason but it was good to know that mets weren't found in my bones. My urologist said the time is coming when I have to have a CT with contrast. There is no risk to the remaining kidney with ultrasound, but it is not as accurate as the CT. CTs evidently are most accurate when contrast is used but the contrast can be bad for the kidney. Not sure if contrast is used with MRIs, but I believe the CT scans are more accurate, although the MRI radiation level is lower than the CT's. PET scans, I believe, are primarily for those with high risk of mets. All that being sad, it is mostly from reading and talking with my doctors that I came up with this. There are probably other reasons why some doctors prefer one over the other.
    Mike
  • foxhd
    foxhd Member Posts: 3,181 Member
    #6
    MikeK703 said:

    Types of tests
    Adobe,
    I had surgery 19 months ago and have had two chest x-rays and an ultrasound of my remaining kidney. I also had a bone scan for a different reason but it was good to know that mets weren't found in my bones. My urologist said the time is coming when I have to have a CT with contrast. There is no risk to the remaining kidney with ultrasound, but it is not as accurate as the CT. CTs evidently are most accurate when contrast is used but the contrast can be bad for the kidney. Not sure if contrast is used with MRIs, but I believe the CT scans are more accurate, although the MRI radiation level is lower than the CT's. PET scans, I believe, are primarily for those with high risk of mets. All that being sad, it is mostly from reading and talking with my doctors that I came up with this. There are probably other reasons why some doctors prefer one over the other.
    Mike

    Yea! Katy
    Yea! Katy!Keep up the good work! As scarey as it is to wait for the results, they can sure be worth the wait. Here's a Kiss and hug.
  • Olsera
    Olsera Member Posts: 38 Member
    #7
    I am a Survior!
    Hi Katy,
    I am glad you are feeling great & received a favorable pathology report. I just had my first CT scan after 5 months I have to find out when my next check-up will be.
  • Olsera
    Olsera Member Posts: 38 Member
    #8
    One Lucky Girl said:

    Yup, me too!
    Hi Katy,

    I'm so happy to hear all is going so well for you. Like you and Mike, I was also a Stage 1 Grade 2 (papillary RCC). My doctor told me not to concern myself at all about the Grade because the Stage is more important. (Of course, I have read the statistics as well). My follow-ups will be every 6 months (MRI alternating with ultra-sound), but my urologist said the chance of recurrence is extremely slim.

    Papillary
    Hi OLG,
    Do you know if you were Papillary type 1 or 2? I just had my radical nephrectomy in mid October which turned out to be Papillary type 1, stage 1, grade 1, 3cm. I think type 1's are fairly rare but typically a less aggressive cell type.
  • icemantoo
    icemantoo Member Posts: 3,361 Member
    #9
    Olsera said:

    I am a Survior!
    Hi Katy,
    I am glad you are feeling great & received a favorable pathology report. I just had my first CT scan after 5 months I have to find out when my next check-up will be.

    This is just the begining
    Katy,

    Before you know it you will be counting the years, not just months.


    Icemantoo
  • One Lucky Girl
    One Lucky Girl Member Posts: 68
    #10
    Olsera said:

    Papillary
    Hi OLG,
    Do you know if you were Papillary type 1 or 2? I just had my radical nephrectomy in mid October which turned out to be Papillary type 1, stage 1, grade 1, 3cm. I think type 1's are fairly rare but typically a less aggressive cell type.

    Type 1
    Hi Olsera,

    I'm quite sure type 1. The report in front of me doesn't list a type, but I believe by default that means type 1. My doctor told me I had nothing to worry about (let's hope not:-) and that there is no genetic component.
  • myboys2
    myboys2 Member Posts: 50
    #11
    Fabulous!!
    That is such good news for you. Now you can just breathhhhh!!!!
  • Olsera
    Olsera Member Posts: 38 Member
    #12
    One Lucky Girl said:

    Type 1
    Hi Olsera,

    I'm quite sure type 1. The report in front of me doesn't list a type, but I believe by default that means type 1. My doctor told me I had nothing to worry about (let's hope not:-) and that there is no genetic component.

    Type 1
    Hi OLG,
    Thanks, I am sure it would be type 1 from what I have read the type 1 tumors are typically grade 1 or 2. I just was curious to know what someone with a similar diagnosis was having for follow up schedules. I don't think we much to worry about this was just a small bump in the road of life. That is such an awesome picture by the way.

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