5 Years Cancer Free

LisaJo
LisaJo Member Posts: 13
edited March 2014 in Kidney Cancer #1
I went on Thursday to have my MRI and Chest X ray. The Urologist that I have been with the whole time said all looks good and that 5 years is a good mark. He also said that starting next year I will just have a chest x ray and the following year an MRI and chest x ray. Does anyone know the protocol for follow up after 5 years. He said that it looks good and not to loose sleep worrying, but that I will always have to keep it in the back of my mind to follow up yearly. Also, He asked if I ever had pain on the side (left) that the kidney was removed from? I actually do have aches and pains there off and on. I just thought it was old age.....(I'm 52) and needed to learn to deal with it. He told me that the scar tissue can be really sensitive and this is not uncommon. Does anyone else feel pain on the side where their kidney was removed? Other then that I feel all is good. If anyone can shed light on further follow up that would be wonderful.

Be Well and Be Happy!

Lisa

Comments

  • corey50
    corey50 Member Posts: 111
    #2
    CONGRATULATIONS!
    lisa,
    congratulations on 5 years cancer free!!
    what a great feeling that must be.
    may i ask what your follow up has been from the beginning. were you going every 6 months at first and for how long? why do you have MRI?
    i just had a left nephrectomy in dec. 08. stage 1b. 4cm tumor contained no other involvement. i just had my 6 month follow up. blood work, ct scan of chest and abdomen, and check up with urologist. he said that in 6 months all i will need is an ultrasound and chest xray and blood work and to see him again of course.
    i had breast cancer (stage 1) 4 years ago so i have an oncologist. the urologist said that because of my history if my onco wanted me to have the ct scans again instead of chest xray and ultrasound that would be ok but didn't want to expose me to too much radiation.
    when i see my onco in sept. i will tell him i want the ct scans again at least for a couple of years. i don't want radiation exposure either but i want to be safe too.
    thanks for any input.
    even though its only been 7 months since surgery i don't have alot of pain either. when i've done too much i can feel it in that area. like a pulling, like it feels tight. my dr. when he saw me in june said that its normal to have a bulge there for awhile.
    so happy for you and would like to wish you continued good health.
  • LisaJo
    LisaJo Member Posts: 13
    #3
    corey50 said:

    CONGRATULATIONS!
    lisa,
    congratulations on 5 years cancer free!!
    what a great feeling that must be.
    may i ask what your follow up has been from the beginning. were you going every 6 months at first and for how long? why do you have MRI?
    i just had a left nephrectomy in dec. 08. stage 1b. 4cm tumor contained no other involvement. i just had my 6 month follow up. blood work, ct scan of chest and abdomen, and check up with urologist. he said that in 6 months all i will need is an ultrasound and chest xray and blood work and to see him again of course.
    i had breast cancer (stage 1) 4 years ago so i have an oncologist. the urologist said that because of my history if my onco wanted me to have the ct scans again instead of chest xray and ultrasound that would be ok but didn't want to expose me to too much radiation.
    when i see my onco in sept. i will tell him i want the ct scans again at least for a couple of years. i don't want radiation exposure either but i want to be safe too.
    thanks for any input.
    even though its only been 7 months since surgery i don't have alot of pain either. when i've done too much i can feel it in that area. like a pulling, like it feels tight. my dr. when he saw me in june said that its normal to have a bulge there for awhile.
    so happy for you and would like to wish you continued good health.

    Follow up
    My follow up was a CT scan after the 1st l months and at a year I had a CT scan and cjhest xray. For the next 4 years I had a CT scan and chest xray yearly. My Dr. wanted to do an MRI this time so that I don't receive any more radiation then needed. I also think the MRI may be a little clearer but is more expensive.

    I too was stage 1 and the tumor was 7cms. It had grown from 3- 7 in 6 months. It was an incidental finding and I thank God everyday. I ahve had simple cysts that they watch in my right kidneya nd on my liver, but they have not changed. I am 52 years old and was diagnosed at 46. My Dr. says that was pretty young......I told him he was pretty slick!!!!!!!

    Bless you.
  • janepjohns
    janepjohns Member Posts: 4
    #4
    I am also 5 yr. cancer free.
    I am also 5 yr. cancer free. It feels good to make that milestone. Yes, the scar tissue from my surgery does bother me at time. Occassionally I have what feels like a muscle cramp or charle horse in my stomach area next to the scar. Dr. says that this is normal. Laying down briefly helps. If I am not able to lay day, it is tolerable and eventually goes away.
    Congrats to you and Best wishes.
  • sallyvel
    sallyvel Member Posts: 7
    #5
    Congrats Lisajo
    It is great to hear of people making the 5 year or more mark with no evidence of disease. Do you mind if I ask what grade and cell type you were. My husband had a right nephrectomy July 20 and we just got the path report by phone so not much detail to go with it. I won't be able to see it in print until sometime later and am trying to understand what it all means. He was stage II, Fuhrman grade 3, 7.5cm, papillary cell type but not sure which type. The surgeon seemed to be saying that this was good news but the grade of 3 bothers me.
    All our best to you in the future.
    sallyvel

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