Another question (sorry!) lol

J_B
J_B Member Posts: 17

Does anyone know....when you have a 4cm lesion or larger in the upper kidney...do they ever just leave it in there?

Mine is:

Indeterminate 4 cm left renal lesion not simple by sonographic criteria. Left upper Kidney.

 

With the run around sugar-coating crap I'm getting thus far from the doctors assistants...I'm wondering if they are going to say they are going to "watch it".

Do they ever do that at this size??

 

Comments

  • MDCinSC
    MDCinSC Member Posts: 574
    Not from what I've seen in my

    Not from what I've seen in my brief history here!  There are others who have much more tenure and experience.

    Me?   I wanted it out!  All it could do was poison me and get worse.   I know how well people do with one kidney.  My mother lived well from 1966 til 2001 with a half a kidney!   In the healthy kidney I have left, based on the size, I have more nephrons than the average person with two kidneys.

    Before the urologist said anything in our first meeting, after visiting here, I told her to pluck that d*mned thing asap.

    Thats me!

    Good luck!

    Michael

  • Texas_wedge
    Texas_wedge Member Posts: 2,798
    MDCinSC said:

    Not from what I've seen in my

    Not from what I've seen in my brief history here!  There are others who have much more tenure and experience.

    Me?   I wanted it out!  All it could do was poison me and get worse.   I know how well people do with one kidney.  My mother lived well from 1966 til 2001 with a half a kidney!   In the healthy kidney I have left, based on the size, I have more nephrons than the average person with two kidneys.

    Before the urologist said anything in our first meeting, after visiting here, I told her to pluck that d*mned thing asap.

    Thats me!

    Good luck!

    Michael

    Watch and wait

    At present, the recommended cutoff point is 3 cm.  At 4 cm. your tumor is probably more than twice the volume of a 3 cm tumor, so intervention of some kind is probably to be anticipated.

  • icemantoo
    icemantoo Member Posts: 3,361 Member
    Wait for the CT

    J_B, The CT should be able to determine the chance of the 4cm lesion, being Malignant. At 4cm it very well might be, but lets not jump the gun just to join our club.

     

    Icemantoo

  • garym
    garym Member Posts: 1,647
    Sugar-coating, unacceptable!!!

    Hi JB,

    I don't think there is a hard and fast rule with regard to watch vs. cut, but I seem to remember that once they hit 3 or larger the odds on cancer and surgery are much higher.  Mine was around the 4 mark and I wanted it out asap, but a lot has changed in the 3 1/2 years since mine was discoverd.  If you are not satisfied or comfortable with the doctors seen and opinions offered, follow fox's example and keep looking until you are.

    Just my 2 cents,

    Gary

  • Galrim
    Galrim Member Posts: 307
    If its RCC

    Your age (young) and 4 cm combined would normally rule out watchful waiting. And yes youre young, forties are the new thirtees, and...(time to stop ranting).

    /G (44 years young)

  • BLKJAK
    BLKJAK Member Posts: 108
    Wait and watch

    I have a 2cm growth in my kidney and they decided to leave it alone and treat it with Votrient instead of having surgery and waiting for a surgery date, operation and recovery. The oncologist felt it was beneficial to have the 8 weeks of Votrient working instead. I don't know if this helps to answer your question or not.. It seems I am one of the few who hasn't had surgery.

  • garym
    garym Member Posts: 1,647
    BLKJAK said:

    Wait and watch

    I have a 2cm growth in my kidney and they decided to leave it alone and treat it with Votrient instead of having surgery and waiting for a surgery date, operation and recovery. The oncologist felt it was beneficial to have the 8 weeks of Votrient working instead. I don't know if this helps to answer your question or not.. It seems I am one of the few who hasn't had surgery.

    This is one time when...

    size does matter

  • MDCinSC
    MDCinSC Member Posts: 574
    Galrim said:

    If its RCC

    Your age (young) and 4 cm combined would normally rule out watchful waiting. And yes youre young, forties are the new thirtees, and...(time to stop ranting).

    /G (44 years young)

    Punk Kid! LOL

    I have kids older than you! 

    All in good humor I assure you!   By that logic, 66 is the new . . . 55? Cool

  • Galrim
    Galrim Member Posts: 307
    MDCinSC said:

    Punk Kid! LOL

    I have kids older than you! 

    All in good humor I assure you!   By that logic, 66 is the new . . . 55? Cool

    Well...

    In your case Im not quite sure, since you come forward as young at heart and mind if not body. Im pretty sure you'll pick your own number regardsless of what I would say.

    Old man... :-D

    /G

  • MDCinSC
    MDCinSC Member Posts: 574
    Galrim said:

    Well...

    In your case Im not quite sure, since you come forward as young at heart and mind if not body. Im pretty sure you'll pick your own number regardsless of what I would say.

    Old man... :-D

    /G

    Damn right! 
    I recall you

    Damn right!  Laughing

    I recall you are a Dane, correct?  Holdningen er alle!  Attitude is all!  (If I don't remember correctly, my apologies)

    I plan on being an old man a very long time!

    Michael

  • J_B
    J_B Member Posts: 17
    garym said:

    This is one time when...

    size does matter

    Or maybe the second time it matters???

    LOL Garym!

  • Eims
    Eims Member Posts: 423
    hi j_b i remember my doc

    hi j_b i remember my doc telling that they wouldn't do anything until the tumor was 4cm.  he basically gave me a nephrectomy because mine was that size and he wasn't taking any chances.

    eims x

  • foxhd
    foxhd Member Posts: 3,181 Member
    Eims said:

    hi j_b i remember my doc

    hi j_b i remember my doc telling that they wouldn't do anything until the tumor was 4cm.  he basically gave me a nephrectomy because mine was that size and he wasn't taking any chances.

    eims x

    here's my thought

    Surgery doesn't scare me. Pain doesn't scare me. I 100% believe that I can heal from anything. So, some stupid little scar as the result of removing a life threatening monster is a no brainer. The fears many people have is to me irrational. I favor aggressive treatment. As far as wait and watch, I say go ahead , but wait and watch closely and move forward quickly if any changes present themselves.

  • GSRon
    GSRon Member Posts: 1,303 Member
    foxhd said:

    here's my thought

    Surgery doesn't scare me. Pain doesn't scare me. I 100% believe that I can heal from anything. So, some stupid little scar as the result of removing a life threatening monster is a no brainer. The fears many people have is to me irrational. I favor aggressive treatment. As far as wait and watch, I say go ahead , but wait and watch closely and move forward quickly if any changes present themselves.

    My 0.01 cent

    Unlike the Fox Meister...  I was scared big time..!  But the fear was way worse than the reality for me..  however, once I woke up, I wanted to tell the world I kicked butt..!  Oh wait, I had a tube down my throat and could not talk..  But you know what I mean..!! 

    My post surgery attitude helped bit time..!  Not only did it help me, but it helped all the doctors and nurses..  I joked with them.. smiled at them.. etc..  Once I started to walk down the halls by myeself, I walked up to about 4 doctors talking in a huddle.. as I walked by, I tapped my Doc on the opposite shoulder... you know like you do when you want them to turn the other way..  laughing my head off...  I am sure having fun like I did, made those people's day go better...  And I had a GREAT surgeon... he visited me every day.. yes even the weekends..  He came in, in his street clothes, and I KNEW, just KNEW he must of been with his family... I asked him and he had his family waiting for him... so I told him to get the He** out of there and go be with them.. 

    Trust us all... you will be amazed how much better you feel mentally once the deed is done..!

    Ron

  • garym
    garym Member Posts: 1,647
    J_B said:

    Or maybe the second time it matters???

    LOL Garym!

    Maybe...

    for the others guys hanging out around here, but not for meWink

  • Limelife50
    Limelife50 Member Posts: 476
    Soap Opera

    Not to be sarcastic but maybe if you were like 88 years old maybe it would be a good ideal to monitor the growth,J_B  but i think you are much to young for this type of protocol,i hope your medical team decides to stop sitting on their thumbs and resolve this.