Top Notch Cancer Center Near Tampa/Clearwater

Patsdaughter
Patsdaughter Member Posts: 5
edited March 2014 in Kidney Cancer #1
I am new to this site. My mother was advised by her family doctor that she has kidney cancer. Can anyone recommend a cancer center/oncologist that specializes in this type of cancer?

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  • icemantoo
    icemantoo Member Posts: 3,361 Member
    #2
    Ask the doctors for a recommendation.
    In my case where my urine was the color of blood my family doctor referred me to one of the senior parners in a large Urology practice including some 25 doctors. After confirming the liklihood of kidney cancer from a CT scan he referred me to a new associate who had just completed a fellowship in urological oncology and had done 150 laproscopic kidney removals as part of his training and was younger than my son. It turns out that he was one of only 2 doctors in the 25 member Urology practice who were competent in this area. There are many doctors out there who have expertice in this area and they may be a surgeon, an oncologist or a urologist. You just have to ask questions and you may want to inquire for a referral from a large hospital in the area. Basically you are looking for a doctor who has extensive experience in kidney removal and familiar with the most up do date advances in the removal or partial removal of a kidney and the tumor and the doctor could be a urologist, oncologist or surgeon or some combination of these. My C-T scan was the end of May 1n 2002 and Surgery 9 weeks later and at this point my doctot says I will die of something else. The unfortunate thing about Kidney Cancer is that it initially requires surgery, but if they remove the tumor and kidney or partial kidney before it spreads a full recovery is likely.
  • Patsdaughter
    Patsdaughter Member Posts: 5
    #3
    icemantoo said:

    Ask the doctors for a recommendation.
    In my case where my urine was the color of blood my family doctor referred me to one of the senior parners in a large Urology practice including some 25 doctors. After confirming the liklihood of kidney cancer from a CT scan he referred me to a new associate who had just completed a fellowship in urological oncology and had done 150 laproscopic kidney removals as part of his training and was younger than my son. It turns out that he was one of only 2 doctors in the 25 member Urology practice who were competent in this area. There are many doctors out there who have expertice in this area and they may be a surgeon, an oncologist or a urologist. You just have to ask questions and you may want to inquire for a referral from a large hospital in the area. Basically you are looking for a doctor who has extensive experience in kidney removal and familiar with the most up do date advances in the removal or partial removal of a kidney and the tumor and the doctor could be a urologist, oncologist or surgeon or some combination of these. My C-T scan was the end of May 1n 2002 and Surgery 9 weeks later and at this point my doctot says I will die of something else. The unfortunate thing about Kidney Cancer is that it initially requires surgery, but if they remove the tumor and kidney or partial kidney before it spreads a full recovery is likely.

    Doctor in Tampa area
    Thank you very much for your informative response. Unfortunately, her doctor gave told my mother she had kidney cancer from the radiology report last Friday before a holiday weekend, so I cannot call the doctor till Tuesday to get any kind of answers. She made the prognosis sound very grim, so perhaps it is too late for my mother. I am trying to read all the messages in this board to learn as much as I can. I appreciate you taking the time to answer me. Congratulations on your good health!
  • icemantoo
    icemantoo Member Posts: 3,361 Member
    #4
    Kidney Cancer can be cured
    I was not in the greatest of moods when I was told that I Had Kidney Cancer either. Nobody is. It is not fun to hear those words, The fact is though if your mother is in the 50-60% where the Cancer is diagnosed before it spreads the surgery will most likely cure it. Having said that thremendous strides are being made with medicines etc, for post surgery patients where there has been some spreading, If the only one you have talked to is a family doctor from my experience other than diagnosing kidney cancer thru symptoms and x-rays they know very little about kidney cancer.
  • Patsdaughter
    Patsdaughter Member Posts: 5
    #5
    icemantoo said:

    Kidney Cancer can be cured
    I was not in the greatest of moods when I was told that I Had Kidney Cancer either. Nobody is. It is not fun to hear those words, The fact is though if your mother is in the 50-60% where the Cancer is diagnosed before it spreads the surgery will most likely cure it. Having said that thremendous strides are being made with medicines etc, for post surgery patients where there has been some spreading, If the only one you have talked to is a family doctor from my experience other than diagnosing kidney cancer thru symptoms and x-rays they know very little about kidney cancer.

    Tampa Doctor
    Thank you for your response to me. After reading the info on the Kidney Cancer website and reading her radiology report, it sounds bleak. First thing tomorrow I will ask to have a quick meeting with her family doctor and call the Kidney Cancer Ctr for a referral to a RCC specialist.We will not give up yet. Thank you.
  • nickster1209
    nickster1209 Member Posts: 1
    #6
    Patsdaughter said:

    Tampa Doctor
    Thank you for your response to me. After reading the info on the Kidney Cancer website and reading her radiology report, it sounds bleak. First thing tomorrow I will ask to have a quick meeting with her family doctor and call the Kidney Cancer Ctr for a referral to a RCC specialist.We will not give up yet. Thank you.

    Kidney Cancer treatment center near Tampa/Clearwater
    Sorry this is so late. I haven't been on this site in months. I had my left kidney removed laproscopically at Moffitt Cancer Center in Tampa, Fla. 6/09/09. Diagnosis RCC-Renal cell cancer. Told I have 15% chance of recurrence. No chemo or radiation. Removal of kidney was my only course of treatment. People come from all over the world to go to Moffitt. Unfortunately with follow-up PET scan they discovered cancer in my thyroid-totally unrelated to my RCC. I had total thyroidectomy on 9/29/09. Had 4 days of radiation treatment over Thanksgiving Surgery at Moffitt again. The doctors' are wonderful and extremely knowledgeable. I am on Synthroid for the rest of my life-no big deal. I hope you have found help already but if not go to Moffitt. This is info for anyone reading this whether they need medical help or they can pass info onto someone else who needs help. Wishing everyone many, many more birthdays.

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