I lurk no more

First I want to say thanks to everyone here who have posted.  As a fairly new kidney cancer owner, I had lots of questions, doubts, fears that I found answered, and assuaged by your posts.  My tumour was found accidentally by CT for a suspected kidney stone on Christmas Eve. It turned out the flank pain was shingles but in the meantime......the er doc told me there was a mass, I asked him if it was kidney cancer and he said he did not know.  I told him my dad died of kidney cancer.  He looked down and walked away.  Five weeks ago I had a partial nephrectomy, next week is my check up and I get the pathology then.  My tumour was not that big, 3.5 cms so I expect it will be stage one.  That is good news and from reading here I know the prognosis is great for stage 1.  What I don't know is how my family history impacts that, or if it does.  I am the fourth confirmed kidney cancer in my family....my dad, his dad and my cousin, on my dad's side.  We also know there are others that were diagnosed with abdominal cancers but don't know the origin. My urologist is sending me for genetic testing.  He says there is no way four people in one family can have it without there being a genetic component.  I do not know type or grade on the other three, it has been twelve years since the last one died.  Does anyone know if family history has any impact on whether or not reoccurrence is possible with a stage one tumour?  I want to be excited about getting it out and getting on with my life, partially nephrectomy is not the most fun I have had, but reading here really got me over the hump.  I found it helped my recovery to understand my pain and fatigue were normal and not to push too hard.  Thanks!