I think I have kidney cancer

They think mine is stage 3. I hope I will be alright.

Thanks. I have my MRI tomorrow so hopefully I will know more then, I guess?

It’s hard to not worry because they literally wrote 2.2cm indeterminate right upper pole renal lesion- possible bosniak category 3. (Stage 3and 4 are statistically more often cancer. The bosniak system is used to classify Cystic masses of those that are more likely cancer and stage 3&4 are statistically more often cancer.)Then separately they wrote they also found bilateral renal cysts so it is nerve wracking because it’s obvious they know what they are looking at plus I have symptoms of which two incidents sent me to the ER. Everyone has different symptoms or none at all. I have had 2 CT scans with contrast by two different doctors and both say the same thing that I need an MRI as soon as possible. My MRI is tomorrow and I’m relieved about that. Bosniak stage 3 is not always cancer sure but the statistics are not good for stage 3 & 4. It is my understanding they want the MRI to see if it has spread and see how to remove it( that’s not good to need my kidney removed or partially removed so that’s concerning in and of it’s self and if it’s spread that’s really bad) . Biopsy are usually done after the tumor has been removed. So, there is a tun of reasons to be very concerned/ worried. Who wouldn’t be? I think all of these things because no one and I mean no one has given me a clear explanation as to what is going on and google sucks. I feel basically like if someone said “ hey, there is a land mine over there and you gotta go step on it. It could explode or it may not and who knows what you will be like after if the mine happens to explode . Oh, and you can’t step on the mine for two weeks. Here are some meds to hold you over in the meantime. So, yeah you guys are right I don’t know what’s going on specifically and neither do the doctors yet but I’m scared. Iv never been so scared before and that is saying a lot considering the job I have done for 20 years, which by the way has exposed me to heavy caustic chemicals that they are finding cause kidney cancer which just makes me more nervous. Hopefully you guys are right but man this sucks. Thank you for helping me and I’m glad you guys are doing well. I hope I do well too.

Thank you for your comment. I had my MRI this past Thursday and I called my doctors office to see if they got the results and they did but they close at noon on Friday’s so it was not reviewed by my doctor and I have to wait till Monday. I feel somewhat relieved that the MRI is over so now my doctors have two CT scans and an MRI all with and without contrast. I do have constant lower back pain and flank pain that is a dull ache and random sharp pains. It bothers my flank to sit down and my right flank looks like it’s swollen when I stand in front of a mirror. I also have no appitite and when I do eat I feel nauseous after so they gave me zofran which helps. How long after my MRI follow up will I have surgery if surgery is indicated do you know? I assume surgery is a strong possibility since they want to rule out bosniak stage 3 indeterminate lesion. I guess I just wonder if the surgery part happens fairly quickly once the doctors have a plan.

Hello everyone. I hope everyone is doing well. I haven’t been on here since I had my partial nephrectomy April of 2022. I felt like a new person after surgery in regards to my energy level. I felt like I walked out of a fog a few weeks after surgery . I wanted to get as far away as I could emotionally from being told I had a bosniak grade 3 tumor that landed me a partial nephrectomy and my diagnosis as papillary renal cell carcinoma stage 1 grade 4 contained to the kidney . I did some drastic things after I healed. I quit my job and moved closer to family and went back to the job I loved most. Iv been doing follow up scans since the surgery. Three months after my surgery they found a 4 mm Nodule on my lower right lobe of my lung. No other findings in my body. The doctor said they will monitor the lesion on my lung with follow up scans. I was doing well until around October 2022 when my blood pressure sky rocketed and I had a hypertensive emergency and was placed on a third blood pressure medication that brought things under control. I now have several nodules on both my lungs and the one they we’re monitoring is now 6mm,I have one on my liver, one on my pancreas all 3 mm or less in size. I am bruising easily and some days I feel good and other days all my joints hurt and I’m tired. Two weeks ago I decided to go to the ER because my right flank was hurting for a week or two and I was feeling really full after hardly eating anything. I also felt like my stomach was bloated after eating and I had a constant nagging headache. They did a CT scan of abdomen with IV contrast and found a bosniak stage 2 tumor on left kidney that was not there at last scans. They found a small amount of acities as well. I was referred to a urologist who is sending me for MRI of abdomen which is next week. In the meantime I saw my oncologist who had a stat CT of abdomen, chest and pelvis with and without contrast. (The scans were two weeks apart). The oncologist scans do not mention the bosniak stage 2 lesion on left kidney or the acities or the 6 mm nodule or other nodule’s on my lungs or any other nodule’s on liver or pancreas and the report ends with all is well basically . I’m so confused. Does this happen? In the meantime iv decided to go to what I think is a better cancer center, Sloan Kettering because I don’t know what’s going on and I don’t feel confident with how I’m being evaluated thus far. My urologist works with the cancer center I’m switching to so I feel good about that. I’m at a loss as to what’s going on and I was hoping someone might have some insight on this type of situation.