How quick is surgery after discovery of rcc ?

Calicocat101,

Really depends on a lot of factors, but my experience with myself (about 1 month) and talking with others seems to be about 1 to 1.5 months wait.  Some surgeons are in very high demand and booked up for many weeks, plus depending on the risk factor of the cancer (ie large tumor) they can put some patients before others for emergency situations.  So it can seem like a long wait, but if you are going to a hospital in high demand, I would expect to wait anywhere between 1 to 2 months, depending on how high risk they deem your case.  In my case, I had an MRI ordered before even speaking with the surgeon, so he was already had everything he needed.  But it's pretty normal that they want to wait until the imaging is done before giving you a hard date.  To quote the late, great Tom Petty, "the Waiting is the hardest part."

- Jay

My experience concurs with the timeframe of 1-2 months between diagnosis and surgery. The initial CT scan that first revealed the kidney tumor was in mid October last year, then the detailed abdominal scan with IV contrast at the end of October, with the nephrectomy taking place on the first of December. The tumor was no larger in the pathology report after removal compared to the abdominal scan, and the surgeon was not concerned about it growing during the waiting period. 

November was certainly a month full of anticipation and anxiety, so I can sympathize with what you are going through. It's still frustrating to have no clear root cause of the RCC, given that I'm a lifelong nonsmoker in good shape physically in my early 40s. Maybe check your doctor's patient portal if they have one, since there was a tentative calendar entry for my surgery date before I was notified officially. Hopefully you will get some more answers soon.

A lot depends on the Surgeon's golf scheduke , just kidding. Those done relatively quickly tend to be larger and you do not want to takr cutd to be in that line. At 5.5 cm it is not large, but it is not small either. Do what you have to do to get it over with. I waited almost 3 months.

Icemanntoo

Had appt with urologist on Sept. 21st. Just saw the oncologist/surgeon two days ago and surgery will be Nov.7th. Too long of a wait if you ask me. Once they tell you there is a solid mass your life changes....then you wait. At least if you get a surgery date you know something will be done about it!! Good luck. I too am a non-smoker, non-drinker and avid exerciser.

I had my ct scans on a Friday morning and was just  told the diagnosis, and then I was waiting at the scheduling counter and was told it was going to be a month out before they could do mine, but the nurse called the DR over and told him his Monday 7am surgery patient had just cancelled. I looked at my wife and said lets do it, best thing I ever did, got it over with and didnt have to sit around and worry about it.

I was diagnosed beginning of January and surgery was March 17th. So a bit over two months. It was supposed to be in February but I got a horrible chest cold and they didn't want to risk anesthesia with the cough and congestion I had.

I was diagnosed on a Thursday, saw a uroligist on the next Tuesday and had my left kdney removed the following Tuesday. My tumor was 5.5 cm x 7.1 cm and encased in the kidney. Doctor said that he could have done a partial, but recommended removal of the whole kidney. That was in May, 2012.

My lesion was discovered in December, 2013 and I had surgery in June, 2016, so 2-1/2 years.  Mine was quite small at discoery, something like 1.5 or 1.6cm.  The urologic oncologist I had said the standard of care for lesions that size was to monitor.  When an ultrasound determined that it had grown to 1.7cm in April, 2106, the decision was made to take it out and that happened two months later, mainly because that was the first opening the surgeon had.

My length was a bit longer.  I had already seen a urologist here in my home town and even had surgery scheduled, but my gut told me I need to go to MD Anderson.  I meet with the folks at MD Anderson and they discovered a second mass on my right kidney that on my original films... No one here ever mentioned a second tumor.  Oct 23rd 2015 I had two tumors removed from my right kidney.  One was 2.2cm and the other was only 0.8cm.  I kept more than 95% of my kidney.  I've had no issues since.