Grade 2, Stage 2, the possibility of mets????

foroughsh
foroughsh Member Posts: 779 Member
in Kidney Cancer #1

Hi everyone,

I'm almost 70 days post opp, my next CT will be  November/22. I'm doing my best to emotionally back to normal but haven't been 100% successful yet. I can't think about anything but mets!!

Is here anyone who had a grade 2, stage 2 (T2b)  Rcc (no mets at the time of surgery)?? I want to know how in reality is possible for mets to happen for these patients as I've read, 5-Year Survival Rate for stage 2 is 74% .

Thanks

Forough

Comments

  • rae_rae
    rae_rae Member Posts: 300 Member
    #2
    It's normal to worry

    It's pretty normal to feel this way at first, I know I did. First, do yourself a favor and stop looking stuff up on the net that has to do with survival rates. Most of it is outdated and RCC drugs have come a long way in the last five years. I was stage 2, grade 3, 9cm tumor, radical nephrectomy of my left kidney October 8, 2010. FOUR years ago - and I have had perfect scans regarding my kidney cancer. No recurrences. My scan this year caught stage 1 colon cancer, very grateful for that. By my third year, I pretty much stopped worrying about every little ache and pain and went back to my normal life. Make sure you get your scans and come here when you need questions answered. You can get real answers from real people, not statistics off the internet. Best Wishes!

    Rae

  • sblairc
    sblairc Member Posts: 585 Member
    #3
    Everyone's cancer is different, to a certain extent

    It makes it so hard to compare individuals, and the statistics can't take into account individuality of immune system, age and overall health of each patient, etc.  Even within stages, everyone is different too in terms of the location of their cancer, etc. Our oncologist put it this way: each day you live without evidence of the cancer is one day closer to an improved outcome (or something along the lines of the cancer never coming back). 

    All this being said, follow up is important so do all the scans as outlined by your doctor. And time will help with your anxiety or concern. One year ago, even after a successsful surgery, all I could think of was him dying someday and leaving me. I could barely leave my house. I wouldn't eat. I was a mess. Fast forward a year, and I feel much better. Distance from diagnosis, is what I call it. The more distance, the better I feel. Nothing else has changed. He's still Stage 3 with renal sinus and fat invasion. Still high risk for recurrence. I've just got more distance from the diagnosis and have learned to live with the fear a lot better. You will start to feel better too. 

  • icemantoo
    icemantoo Member Posts: 3,361 Member
    #4
    rae_rae said:

    It's normal to worry

    It's pretty normal to feel this way at first, I know I did. First, do yourself a favor and stop looking stuff up on the net that has to do with survival rates. Most of it is outdated and RCC drugs have come a long way in the last five years. I was stage 2, grade 3, 9cm tumor, radical nephrectomy of my left kidney October 8, 2010. FOUR years ago - and I have had perfect scans regarding my kidney cancer. No recurrences. My scan this year caught stage 1 colon cancer, very grateful for that. By my third year, I pretty much stopped worrying about every little ache and pain and went back to my normal life. Make sure you get your scans and come here when you need questions answered. You can get real answers from real people, not statistics off the internet. Best Wishes!

    Rae

    Fight back

    Forough,

     

    Do not let a Cancer diagnosis get the best of you. As Rae says and I said before those survival numbers are old and a vast majority of persons with Stage 2 RCC (a tumor 7cm or larger) are going to survive and thrive. Any mets are going to be nipped in their bud as a result of regular scanning, Part of the survival rate reflects that RCC strikes mostly us older guys 50-70 who may die of other things during a 5 yeer period. At first I thought it was scary when told that I had a 90% survival rate for 5 years and a 10% chance of dying. But that was over 12 years ago. Faye across the street started with mets to the lung. That was 19 or 20 years ago. She was 64 then and is on her way to 90 now.

     

    Icemantoo

  • NanoSecond
    NanoSecond Member Posts: 653
    #5
    Please read this essay by Dr. Stephen Jay Gould

    http://cancerguide.org/median_not_msg.html

Discussion Boards