calcium in artery found same time as Kidney tumor

Terry T
Terry T Member Posts: 42
in Kidney Cancer #1

hi all - first, best to all this holiday season...so many here are dealing with a tough hand...

me, I am NED for almost 2.5 years after a full nephrectomy on the right side...when they did the scans to find the tumor, one surgeon noted significant calcium in my left descending artery (referrred to as LAD) ...follow up calcium tests showed a score of 781 putting me in the 90th percentile with 456 of that score in my LAD..the results note that I am at significant risk of a major coronary event...since then, i reduced my already low cholesterol to about 150 (under 60 for the LDL) and dropped 15 pounds (i was 170...am now 155...i am 5 feet 9 inches) 

has anyone else found out about calcium in their abdominal arteries through their kidney cancer journey and, if so, what have you done to address it...

thanks all..best to everyone..

Comments

  • Kat23502
    Kat23502 Member Posts: 179 Member
    edited December 2016 #2
    That is pretty significant in

    That is pretty significant in terms of your calcium score. Have they suggested intervention aside from diet and exercise?

  • Terry T
    Terry T Member Posts: 42
    edited December 2016 #3
    nothing beyond exercise...

    ...and I was put on atrovastatin to reduce my cholesterol - which, as I inidcated, is really low already...thanks for the reply...

     

  • dhs1963
    dhs1963 Member Posts: 513
    #4
    LAD is serious: widowmaker

    Are you seeing a cardiologist?  If not, get to one.  FWIW, since my cancer has been diagnosed, I have had a series of cardiac stents put in.  (4 total).  Inclduing the LAD.

  • Terry T
    Terry T Member Posts: 42
    edited December 2016 #5
    dhs1963 said:

    LAD is serious: widowmaker

    Are you seeing a cardiologist?  If not, get to one.  FWIW, since my cancer has been diagnosed, I have had a series of cardiac stents put in.  (4 total).  Inclduing the LAD.

    cardiologist put me on atrovastatin

    I am going to see about a follow up appointment - had seen them about 4 times over the 1st year and all they did was blood test for cholesterol which, as I noted, has been really good...I also notice through my fitbit that my heart rate is pretty low - generally a resting rate of 50 - 55 - I had taken that as a good sign as I recently began walking an average of 6 - 7 miles a day and, like I said in the first post, I lost 15 pounds this year

    thanks for your reply - love how everyone reaches out on this forum

  • dhs1963
    dhs1963 Member Posts: 513
    #6
    Terry T said:

    cardiologist put me on atrovastatin

    I am going to see about a follow up appointment - had seen them about 4 times over the 1st year and all they did was blood test for cholesterol which, as I noted, has been really good...I also notice through my fitbit that my heart rate is pretty low - generally a resting rate of 50 - 55 - I had taken that as a good sign as I recently began walking an average of 6 - 7 miles a day and, like I said in the first post, I lost 15 pounds this year

    thanks for your reply - love how everyone reaches out on this forum

    If it were me...

    If it were me, I would advocate for a nuclear stress test.  This minimally invasive test will measure the blood flow the the heart both at rest and under stress.  If there is a significant blockage in the LAD, it is critical to find it before it closes. 

     

  • Terry T
    Terry T Member Posts: 42
    #7
    dhs1963 said:

    If it were me...

    If it were me, I would advocate for a nuclear stress test.  This minimally invasive test will measure the blood flow the the heart both at rest and under stress.  If there is a significant blockage in the LAD, it is critical to find it before it closes. 

     

    i had a mycardial perfuison imaging test done..

    can't find whether that is the same as a nuclear stress test...the descriptions sound really similar ...report says everything was normal no blocakge seen ...treadmill results were very good..left ventricular chamber size and volume are normal ..no evidence of stress induced ischemia ...I have an appointment with the cardiologist next week just to get a better understanding of this. When I look back at these test results, I had all this done 5 weeks after my full nephrectomy so I perhaps wasn't as focused as I should have been. I did meet with the cardiologist a few times after the test and, with my cholesterol numbers really good and the imaging test results being very good, they seemed to think I was good...or as good as I can be. I should note that, for my score, I had a 90+% chance of having a blocked artery and the myocardial test showed that was NOT the case. 

    thanks again for your input

  • hardo718
    hardo718 Member Posts: 853 Member
    edited December 2016 #8
    Awesome

    That's what I have to say about those findings!   Wink

    Donna~

  • Terry T
    Terry T Member Posts: 42
    edited December 2016 #9
    hardo718 said:

    Awesome

    That's what I have to say about those findings!   Wink

    Donna~

    thanks!

    I am looking forward to meeting again with the cardiologist. Despite these good readings etc., it is still concerning to have a calcium score that is almost 2x's as high as the cutoff for the 90th percentile. Hope things are well with you. 

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