Small neoplasm found

Loftydweller
Loftydweller Member Posts: 10
edited October 2015 in Kidney Cancer #1

i am a newbie.  Two years ago a small 1.3 cm spot was found on my right kidney.  I consulted with two urologists  who recommended active surveillance.  I have been having CT scans with and without contrast every 6 months and there has been no growth of the neoplasm.  My Dr. says I have about an 80% that it is cancer.  Well...my most recent scan showed it has grown 2 mm (which is not that much) and still my Dr. said he is good with continuing to monitor or I can have it cut out.  I have been fine until I heard it is starting to grow.  I am kind of freaked and find myself wanting it out.  I am open to advice, thoughts, suggestions...etc.  

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Comments

  • icemantoo
    icemantoo Member Posts: 3,361 Member
    #2
    What a choice.

    Lofty.

     

    Its like choosing between 2 ugly sisters (or brothers). Either way it is going to have to come out sooner or later. It gets harder as you get older. If I had the choice I would get it out sooner than later.

     

     

    Icemantoo

  • ponzlaw
    ponzlaw Member Posts: 14
    #3
    get a second opinion

    unless there is some reason you cannot have surgery, i would get a 2nd opinion on that option. good luck

  • Loftydweller
    Loftydweller Member Posts: 10
    #4
    ponzlaw said:

    get a second opinion

    unless there is some reason you cannot have surgery, i would get a 2nd opinion on that option. good luck

    I am 55 and pretty healthy

    I am 55 and pretty healthy and active.  It seems active surveillance is the popular protocol for small cancers.  My GP, on the other hand said he would want it out.  i think with it starting to grow I should go ahead and do it. Scared. 

  • icemantoo
    icemantoo Member Posts: 3,361 Member
    #5
    Loftydweller said:

    I am 55 and pretty healthy

    I am 55 and pretty healthy and active.  It seems active surveillance is the popular protocol for small cancers.  My GP, on the other hand said he would want it out.  i think with it starting to grow I should go ahead and do it. Scared. 

    Scared

    Lofty,

     

    We all were scared when we were told we had Cancer and whoever heard of kidney Cancer. And this bit about surgery right out of the gate. Crazy. Mine was a lucky 13 years ago. The scaryness will pass.

     

     

    Icemantoo

  • Loftydweller
    Loftydweller Member Posts: 10
    #6
    icemantoo said:

    Scared

    Lofty,

     

    We all were scared when we were told we had Cancer and whoever heard of kidney Cancer. And this bit about surgery right out of the gate. Crazy. Mine was a lucky 13 years ago. The scaryness will pass.

     

     

    Icemantoo

    Iceman...are you saying it is

    Iceman...are you saying it is crazy to consider surgery right out of the gate?  Just want to make sure I understand. 

  • Footstomper
    Footstomper Member Posts: 1,237 Member
    #7
    Loftydweller said:

    Iceman...are you saying it is

    Iceman...are you saying it is crazy to consider surgery right out of the gate?  Just want to make sure I understand. 

    Ahem

    Get it out!

  • icemantoo
    icemantoo Member Posts: 3,361 Member
    #8
    Footstomper said:

    Ahem

    Get it out!

    Ditto

    Get it out. What is crazy is that the usual protocal for RCC is surgery first thing (usually meaning all of us).

     

     

    Icemantoo

  • Footstomper
    Footstomper Member Posts: 1,237 Member
    #9
    Don't be freaked!

    Deal with it now and its all over

    Leave it until its too late and then you may have a problem.

    Dont worry. You dont have a problem right now, but deal with it.

  • Loftydweller
    Loftydweller Member Posts: 10
    #10
    Footstomper said:

    Don't be freaked!

    Deal with it now and its all over

    Leave it until its too late and then you may have a problem.

    Dont worry. You dont have a problem right now, but deal with it.

    Thank you

    Thank you

  • nancybuck
    nancybuck Member Posts: 117
    #11
    Loftydweller said:

    Thank you

    Thank you

    TAKE IT OUT!!!

    Get it out! Mine is small and I am having cryosurgery on Monday. I just want this cancer out of my body NOW!  Best of luck to you and all of our friends on this blog. each of you are in my prayers nightly.

     

  • DYAN172
    DYAN172 Member Posts: 20
    #12
    My 2 cents

    I just had a partial neph 10/8. I had almost talked myself out of surgery until I found this board. I was so afraid. The turning point was when my urologist rolled his stool over towards me and said I am going to tell you what I'd tell my wife or mother get it out. I got my path back stage 1 lowest grade RCC. No treatment other than close follow up. It's been six days since surgery and it gets better each day.

     

    Praye

  • Loftydweller
    Loftydweller Member Posts: 10
    #13
    DYAN172 said:

    My 2 cents

    I just had a partial neph 10/8. I had almost talked myself out of surgery until I found this board. I was so afraid. The turning point was when my urologist rolled his stool over towards me and said I am going to tell you what I'd tell my wife or mother get it out. I got my path back stage 1 lowest grade RCC. No treatment other than close follow up. It's been six days since surgery and it gets better each day.

     

    Praye

    Thank you for your replies. 

    Thank you for your replies.  I think I am going to go forward with the surgery.  I worry about telling my freinds, family and co-workers (espeiciallly) as I don't want people to look at me differently or treat me differently.  I know when people hear the word cancer they fear the worst.  I especially worry about telling my boss.  I know they will be supportive but don't want them to worry.

     

     

  • APny
    APny Member Posts: 1,995 Member
    #14
    Loftydweller said:

    Thank you for your replies. 

    Thank you for your replies.  I think I am going to go forward with the surgery.  I worry about telling my freinds, family and co-workers (espeiciallly) as I don't want people to look at me differently or treat me differently.  I know when people hear the word cancer they fear the worst.  I especially worry about telling my boss.  I know they will be supportive but don't want them to worry.

     

     

    I'm in total agreement with

    I'm in total agreement with everyone. Get it out, and as soon as possible. While it's typically the case, it's still not a given that only large tumors metastasize so why sit around and wait for that scary possiblility? With a small growth like that you'll have a partial neph and preserve most of your kidney and its function. I for sure would want it out and the sooner the better. I told my boss and everyone in my department and amazingly enough they all dealt with it just fine and were incredibly accommodating and supportive.

  • Jan4you
    Jan4you Member Posts: 1,330 Member
    #15
    APny said:

    I'm in total agreement with

    I'm in total agreement with everyone. Get it out, and as soon as possible. While it's typically the case, it's still not a given that only large tumors metastasize so why sit around and wait for that scary possiblility? With a small growth like that you'll have a partial neph and preserve most of your kidney and its function. I for sure would want it out and the sooner the better. I told my boss and everyone in my department and amazingly enough they all dealt with it just fine and were incredibly accommodating and supportive.

    First of all, Loftydweller, I

    First of all, Loftydweller, I am sorry you even have to go through all this in your life!

    But glad you found this site. We'll be here to support and inform you, if you want us to!

    Here you went through all this radiation from CTs just to see this neoplasm grow.

    Hopefully your surgeon will do Laproscopic incisions via robatic surgery technique.

    It is much easier to recovery as it is less invasive. Most likely you'll have a "partial"

    surgery, instead if a Radical, where you take out the kidney.

    Since cancer is often treatable, but sneaky, and sometimes unpredictable. I would want it out now!

    Keep in touch as we'll be here for you~

    Sending you hope and encouragement!

    Hugs, Jan

  • Shecka1121
    Shecka1121 Member Posts: 117 Member
    #16
    Jan4you said:

    First of all, Loftydweller, I

    First of all, Loftydweller, I am sorry you even have to go through all this in your life!

    But glad you found this site. We'll be here to support and inform you, if you want us to!

    Here you went through all this radiation from CTs just to see this neoplasm grow.

    Hopefully your surgeon will do Laproscopic incisions via robatic surgery technique.

    It is much easier to recovery as it is less invasive. Most likely you'll have a "partial"

    surgery, instead if a Radical, where you take out the kidney.

    Since cancer is often treatable, but sneaky, and sometimes unpredictable. I would want it out now!

    Keep in touch as we'll be here for you~

    Sending you hope and encouragement!

    Hugs, Jan

    Mine 1.2 and Out

    My mass was 1.2 and my oncologist at UCSF wanted it out sooner than later.  I am 45 so not too far behind you.  Dr rationale was if it is small in the 1 cm range the chances of metastizing is so rare that long term survival is more that 98%  the chances of becoming ill from kidney cancer are far less than leaving it in. 

     

    I recommend getting a second opinion from a urlogist/oncologist who has experience with partial nephrectomys.  Depending on where you live, there are doctors that we all can recomend.

     

     

  • Denisedh
    Denisedh Member Posts: 28
    #17
    Yes

    I agree with the advice to get it out.  Even if it's benign, if it gets bigger it can interfere with your kidney functioning.  Getting it out while it's small has many advantages--you can do a partial nephrectomy with a laparoscopic procedure, relatively easy recovery. 

     

  • Jojo61
    Jojo61 Member Posts: 1,309 Member
    #18
    Denisedh said:

    Yes

    I agree with the advice to get it out.  Even if it's benign, if it gets bigger it can interfere with your kidney functioning.  Getting it out while it's small has many advantages--you can do a partial nephrectomy with a laparoscopic procedure, relatively easy recovery. 

     

    I am in agreement with

    I am in agreement with everyone here - get it out. It sounds scary, but it isn't so bad. The procedures they use now are really slick.

    Keep us posted!

    Hugs

    Jojo

     

  • mrou50
    mrou50 Member Posts: 389 Member
    #19
    Second Opinion

    I would get a second opinion. Doctors kept putting me off and then I went from one small tumor to tumors.  My left kidney was removed, one and half years later they found a spot on my lungs.  My ONC said it was to small and to soon to tell what it was, three months later I had six tumors on my lungs two of which were pretty large. Don't wait tell your doctor that you want a second opinion this is your life if they catch it early they can do a partial nephrectomy and save much of your kidney before it grows and spreads.  That is one man's opinion anyway.

     

     

    Mark

  • Loftydweller
    Loftydweller Member Posts: 10
    #20
    mrou50 said:

    Second Opinion

    I would get a second opinion. Doctors kept putting me off and then I went from one small tumor to tumors.  My left kidney was removed, one and half years later they found a spot on my lungs.  My ONC said it was to small and to soon to tell what it was, three months later I had six tumors on my lungs two of which were pretty large. Don't wait tell your doctor that you want a second opinion this is your life if they catch it early they can do a partial nephrectomy and save much of your kidney before it grows and spreads.  That is one man's opinion anyway.

     

     

    Mark

    I am doing it.

    Thank you all for your thoughts.  I am going to go ahead and schedule the surgery.  i also have started running a low grade temp which is very unusual and have pain in my groin area.  Maybe I have just been in denial.  Question...when you have a partial...does the rest of the kidney just resume normal function but just can't filter as much?  Does that dump more toxins into you because the whole kidney isn't there?  I know these are questions for my doctor and I will ask him when I go in next.  Just so many questions popping in my head now that it has gotten "real".  Prayers for all of you who are struggling with much more complicated issues.

  • Loftydweller
    Loftydweller Member Posts: 10
    #21
    Shecka1121 said:

    Mine 1.2 and Out

    My mass was 1.2 and my oncologist at UCSF wanted it out sooner than later.  I am 45 so not too far behind you.  Dr rationale was if it is small in the 1 cm range the chances of metastizing is so rare that long term survival is more that 98%  the chances of becoming ill from kidney cancer are far less than leaving it in. 

     

    I recommend getting a second opinion from a urlogist/oncologist who has experience with partial nephrectomys.  Depending on where you live, there are doctors that we all can recomend.

     

     

    Birmingham AL

    Birmingham AL

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