Very worried

Hi vafan. Sorry you had to join us, but you should find a lot of support here.

I’m assuming the 1.9 is measured in centimeters? If so, I was in the same situation as you. In late 2013 (between Christmas and New Year), a routine physical showed I had microscopic traces of blood in my urine. Figuring it was a kidney stone, my doctor sent me for a CT, where they found a 1.5cm lesion on my right kidney. Fortunately, my insurance allowed me to be referred to Stanford, where I was seen very quickly by THE best doctor I’ve ever had (and I’ve had some very good ones). He took as much time as I needed answering every question my wife and I had. He recommended active surveillance (CT or Ultrasound every six months) because of the small size, since a percentage of growths of that size are not malignant. He assured me there was little risk of out of control growth or spread, but that if I could not handle it psychologically, he would arrange to have it removed (as he is not a surgeon). I had scans until mid-2016, when an ultrasound determined the little bugger had grown. I had surgery in mid-June (ironically, very close to our 37th wedding anniversary), and was in the hospital a total of 25 hours. Surgery was robotic and as minimally invasive as possible. I’ve had clean scans the last 6 years. My cancer was chromophobe type. It’s a very slow growing form that rarely spreads and rarely recurs.

As for you, I would recommend that when you see your urologic oncologist after the MRI, make a list of the questions you want to ask. Also, bring someone along with you because there will be times you get distracted during an answer and another set of ears is helpful. Also, stay away from consulting Dr. Google. You can, quite literally, find web sites that give completely contradictory information on kidney cancer. Some is outdated, some is plain wrong and some is just some scam artist trying to make a buck.

Finally, be aware that treatment options have improved dramatically in the last decade, as have tools for early detection. I’m not certain how your 1.9cm mass was found, but I’m willing to bet it was found while they were actually checking for something else, just like with me. Most masses of the size you have and I had have very successful treatment results. In my case, in 2016, my surgeon said surgery for growths this size results in a 99%+ cure…..not control, but complete cure.

Your growth is small, it seems to have been found early and you’re otherwise in good health. You’ll have a successful outcome. We’ll be around for you the whole way.

I'm not sure how you define "elderly." I was 68 when I had a 7 cm growth and my left kidney removed four years ago - a total nephrectomy. 7 cm is still stage 1, so that tells you you do not have to be in a hurry, as small as yours is. I was in the hospital overnight and except for periodic scans, it hasn't affected my life too much.