Personal symptoms of renal cancer

cyranosister
cyranosister Member Posts: 1
edited March 2014 in Kidney Cancer #1
Hi there! I'm very eager to hear about the symptoms that people have experienced before they were diagnosed with renal cancer. I know that many were found "by accident" with no previous symptoms. I've also read that kidney cancer isn't supposed to cause pain, though many experience it. This being said I would dearly love hearing the detailed symptoms (pain included), gut feelings, weird happenings, and aha moments that led you and your doctor to find a diagnosis. Thank you kindly and God bless you all in your personal journies xx

Comments

  • Sieska
    Sieska Member Posts: 2
    #2
    I have yet to be diagnoses
    I have yet to be diagnoses with anything - still playing the waiting game - but, the mass in my kidney was found when I went to the urologist for bladder pain. I do have dull pain in my back on the left side (mass is in the left kidney) but I honestly just thought it was normal back pain from bad posture or sleeping "wrong".
  • jules10
    jules10 Member Posts: 2
    #3
    My husband found out by
    My husband found out by thinking he had a chest cold or a viris. The dr listened to his lungs and heard something that didn't sound right, so a chest x-ray and 2 Cat scans later he had his kidney removed due to a 9 cm tumor on it. Also spots on lungs,stage 4 kidney cancer. Trying Sutent now.
  • beanfarmer
    beanfarmer Member Posts: 8
    #4
    jules10 said:

    My husband found out by
    My husband found out by thinking he had a chest cold or a viris. The dr listened to his lungs and heard something that didn't sound right, so a chest x-ray and 2 Cat scans later he had his kidney removed due to a 9 cm tumor on it. Also spots on lungs,stage 4 kidney cancer. Trying Sutent now.

    Back pain, then passing blood
    Had kidney removed two weeks ago. Early December, back pain, numbness in legs, went to chiropractor, some relief One month ago, thought it was kidney stones, then a week later more blood and clots, went to urologist, ct showed tumor, 10 cm, left side. That was on a Tuesday, ran scans on Wed and Thurs, got 2nd on Friday, cut me the next Tuesday the 16th of March. Sunday I got back on a tractor planting corn. No more back pain either. Now that is smooth work with no bumps and no lifting, just occupying the seat and not even holding the wheel except to turn, GPS autosteer.

    I am amazed at how quick I came back. 10.5" cut open surgery, no meds for pain, exc a percocet to go to bed at night, and pain meds have little effect on me.

    NOW, tomorrow I go back to re-do my scans and a MUGA to get on the ASSURE trial of SUTENT or NEXAVAR or placebo, since it had some activity on the lymph node/gland. I am nervous as hell, going on 40, self employed, kid in college, 9yr old at home, love to hunt, work hard and not sit still.
  • bigneil
    bigneil Member Posts: 6
    #5
    beanfarmer said:

    Back pain, then passing blood
    Had kidney removed two weeks ago. Early December, back pain, numbness in legs, went to chiropractor, some relief One month ago, thought it was kidney stones, then a week later more blood and clots, went to urologist, ct showed tumor, 10 cm, left side. That was on a Tuesday, ran scans on Wed and Thurs, got 2nd on Friday, cut me the next Tuesday the 16th of March. Sunday I got back on a tractor planting corn. No more back pain either. Now that is smooth work with no bumps and no lifting, just occupying the seat and not even holding the wheel except to turn, GPS autosteer.

    I am amazed at how quick I came back. 10.5" cut open surgery, no meds for pain, exc a percocet to go to bed at night, and pain meds have little effect on me.

    NOW, tomorrow I go back to re-do my scans and a MUGA to get on the ASSURE trial of SUTENT or NEXAVAR or placebo, since it had some activity on the lymph node/gland. I am nervous as hell, going on 40, self employed, kid in college, 9yr old at home, love to hunt, work hard and not sit still.

    Nexavar
    Nexavar only complicated my condition. The side effects were unbearable for me. Between the hand and foot blister sympton, nausea, to defocating in my bed, seemed to be worse than the cancer itself. I was taking 400 mgs (I think) twice daily and it knocked me down. I have been on Torisel (MTOR inhibitor) once weekly (over 72 treatments) and have regained my strength and a positive outlook on life. The side effects I have experienced on Torisel include edema, skin reactions which have subdued somewhat by switching to a non acidic based soap such as glycerine soap. My immune system has been comprimised to an extent, but the only sickness I have had is a sorethroat and fever just last month. My Oncologist is a firm believer of staying ahead of the pain, if you are chasing pain, you will never catch it. You should be treated with the necessary amount of narcotics to keep your pain level at a minimum. If your Oncologist prefers to see you suffer or tells you that what you get is enough and in your opinion it is not, I would seek another Oncolgist for your treatment and pain meds. I am fortunate enough (LOL) to be a DAV and get all my care through the VA here in Togus Maine, and I know I am in good and caring hands. Hooray for the VA.
  • AMichael50
    AMichael50 Member Posts: 18
    #6
    bigneil said:

    Nexavar
    Nexavar only complicated my condition. The side effects were unbearable for me. Between the hand and foot blister sympton, nausea, to defocating in my bed, seemed to be worse than the cancer itself. I was taking 400 mgs (I think) twice daily and it knocked me down. I have been on Torisel (MTOR inhibitor) once weekly (over 72 treatments) and have regained my strength and a positive outlook on life. The side effects I have experienced on Torisel include edema, skin reactions which have subdued somewhat by switching to a non acidic based soap such as glycerine soap. My immune system has been comprimised to an extent, but the only sickness I have had is a sorethroat and fever just last month. My Oncologist is a firm believer of staying ahead of the pain, if you are chasing pain, you will never catch it. You should be treated with the necessary amount of narcotics to keep your pain level at a minimum. If your Oncologist prefers to see you suffer or tells you that what you get is enough and in your opinion it is not, I would seek another Oncolgist for your treatment and pain meds. I am fortunate enough (LOL) to be a DAV and get all my care through the VA here in Togus Maine, and I know I am in good and caring hands. Hooray for the VA.

    Personal symptoms of renal cancer
    Gross Hematuria (blood in Urine). Weird what an ignorant person like me can learn when something like this hits you. The Urologist asked me if i had experienced any back or flank pain. I said, " heck I'm a 50 yr old man, my back always hurts some, I never gave it much thought." Looking back though, I was at times before my diagnosis getting awfully fatigued.
    You can bet from now on I listen to my body a little closer than before. I'll probably become some sort of hypochondriac. I'll be 1 year past surgery this month, now minus my left kidney. My 2nd CT scan just came back clean, so I just keep on keeping on..God Bless you all.
  • lbinmsp
    lbinmsp Member Posts: 266
    #7
    Hello! The winter before my
    Hello! The winter before my RCC was discovered, I'd had a flu with cough that lasted for months. Once that resolved, I was left with such fatigue that I slept every moment that I wasn't at work. For nearly 2 years prior to the RCC diagnosis, I'd had a horrible backache with sciatic pain radiating down the leg. Physical therapy, drug therapy - massive doses of ibuprofin and antidepressants and I changed doctors. He ordered an MRI which revealed a mass. Followup CT's showd the kidney tumor. I had no blood in my urine. One of the first questions the urologist asked me was whether I had had any flu-like symptoms and fatigue that hung on. Apparently that is a hint ... but unless you've got real urologic symptoms (blood in urine), RCC is really just found by accident. The interesting thing ... my brother was a doctor. He called me one day after I'd had my surgery and told me that I'd saved one of his patient's lives. He had been treating a woman with very nonspecific symptoms - and he was beginning to thing she was a hypochondriac. Then he remembered my story and he sent her for CT - sure enough, she had RCC.

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