2.2 cm mass inside left kidney

Hi Trucker1,

Your mass is very small at 2.2 cm and it appears to be contained in the kidney, so once it's removed, that should be the end of it and you should have an excellent prognosis!

My husband had a full nephrectomy on August 21st (due to the location of the tumor and his risk of bleeding because he's on blood thinners).  The operation was a success, and he's doing great now.  From the CT scan, he was told that the tumor was 3.9 cm, but when the pathology report came back, it was only 2.9 cm x 2.3 x 1.5.  This has been the case with many people here where it actually ends up being smaller than previously thought.  My husband does not need any further treatment, and you won't either if it hasn't spread anywhere else.

We were also told that there was an 18% - 20% chance that it could be something benign (but it wasn't).

He had robotic, laparoscopic surgery and spent one night in the hospital.

This is a great place to be.....so many people on this forum have helped both my husband and I get through this when we were newbies and so scared.  Now we're on the other side of it.  I wouldn't say it was "fun," but It wasn't as bad as what we had imagined...lol.

Sending prayers to you!

Hi Trucker

I was diagnosed a few weeks ago with a 2.5cm mass also on my left kidney.  It's haninging off the bottom and my surgeon is confident that is all they will find.  I am scheduled for a robotic partial neph on October 19th, so I know exactly what you are feeling.  I feel lucky that if I have to go down this road, things are very positive and the outcome looks good.  That being said, the waiting is excrutiating and I get some very dark feelings that take over a couple of times a day.  Mine was discovered quite by accident and I had no symptoms.  I'm playing the waiting game and even though everyone will tell you to not think about it...that's impossible.  Good luck to you.

I had a nephrectomy/ureterectomy on august 24. I had a metastasis to the bladder. Pathology showed cancer was contained in the kidney. the metastasis may have come from the biopsy performed a few weeks before. I had to wait 6 weeks for the nephrectomy because the robot was not available. I'm told the metastasis had not invaded, no blood supply and the margins were clean. I am choosing to believe it is a single event. I will be followed every 3 months with cystoscopy. Although my recovery was quick, home in one day and moving about, I am experiencing hypersensitivity in the skin where the incisions are. Also, my previously flat stomach is now pooching out. I'm hoping this will go down with time. Overall, I am grateful for my surgeon and his expertise with the robotically assisted laporoscopy. I am a nurse and can remember the old days when large incisions and long recovery were the order of the day.

That is a really lousy situation. Will you keep most of your kidneys?

I think you deserve a message thread of your own. 'add new forum topic' on the main kidney cancer page.

Diet/lifestyle are obviously crucial for good health. Unfortunately the standard western diet is rubbish.

I believe that we all need to become experts at our own health, kind of like making a hobby of being healthy.

Everyone here is interested in kidney cancer, so please feel free to tell us everything and ask us anything.

Steve.

Jparra

As helpful as we try to be ny suggestion to those with bilateral kidney cancer is to get a second opinion as there is no right or wrong answer and each case is unique, Sending good Karma.

Iceman

Trucker1 said:

Why me?

Selfish right...That's all I can think of today...Night sweats last night have got me all shaken up today( probably because of my sugar- just diagnosed last year type 2) I have been trying and succeeding at losing weight- just being healthier with food choices and walking a Mile or 2  every night.I was not in bad shape just trying to be in the best shape possible for surgery ..Waiting on my turn at surgery is daunting. Every ache and pain feels like I'm losing this..  My mass is small but man has it taken a huge part of my mind lately...I'm ok with it one hour and anxious as ever the next about it all..My mind feels out of control sometimes...

I'm a week out from surgery had total nephrectomy and I'm like you. Scared that down the road it will spread but I did read a woman who works in a nursing home had people in theur upper 80s and one at 100 that had a history of kidney cancer  in their background 3 out of 100 patients so that was reassuring. Also there's people like iceman 15 years Free . I'm going to eat healthier walk more often and hope for the best. Try and throw those fears of what if away as best I can. Good luck to you and while the surgery is hard it's not terrible and I'm healing slowly but surely just need to be patient with your body while it's healing.

Angie1496 said:

I felt like my body had

I felt like my body had betrayed me!  Here I am trying to eat healthy and go to the gym regularly.  ALl my numbers have been good. Almost off BP meds. Then WHAM hit with a flippin' tumor in my kidney.  Not something you can ignore.  I also had problems with fear and worry keeping me awake alot of nights.  But I read the good and the bad and realized that Yeah I have cancer but I was so blessed it was caught early and that it hadn't spread at the time it was found or removed from my body.  The two weeks after surgery were not the most pleasant but when I saw my Doc the first time after and I could talk to him about my tumor and what he saw and the grade etc... I felt so much better!  Try to not worry about it and educate yourself, be aware of what your body is doing and listen to it.  My mass was 4.5cm and looked like a walnut but for about 5 weeks it felt like it was a 500 pound evil being that invaded my peaceful life.  It will get better!  you will probably be like alot of us here and have to be checked regularly. But the odds for us with smaller tumors are alot better than if it wasn't found so early.  I educated myself on the disease of RCC, the surgery and even watched videos and by the time I got to surgery I was a peace with what was happening and not even stressed out the day of surgery.  Today I am thinking less of what if this or that but trying to put the past 8 weeks behind me and look forward to my "normal" routine. But listening to my body a little better than I used to!

I too feel like my body has betrayed me. Exercised my whole life. No drinking or smoking. What did I do wrong? I feel angry about this!!! It also bothers me that I have probably had this for 1 to 2 yrs and had no idea!!!!!