Post surgery treatment

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scor2016
scor2016 Member Posts: 10
in Kidney Cancer #1

I haven't been on here in a while.  Our life has been a whirlwind since my husband's diagnoses of kidney cancer.  I read everyone's posts and I do find comfort that we are not alone in this battle.  My husband was diagnosed with Stage IV Renal Cell Carcinoma in March and had a left nephrectomy April 24th.  He had a solitary metastasis in the sacrum area.  We were fortunate that a surgeon at Vanderbilt University was able to remove the tumor.  He had a scan which didn't show any other spread.  His oncologist wants to just monitor him and do scans every three months.  Should he be on medication of some sort?  I just worry because it had spread at some point to his sacrum and I worry it is somewhere else.

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  • donna_lee
    donna_lee Member Posts: 1,042 Member
    #2
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    No meds

    You can't take on more worry than is necessary; and worrying about further spread can be devastating to both of you.  That's why he'll have follow up tests as I did.  And yes, over the next 2 years following the intial surgery, it was discovered that  single nodes were growing, and each was removed...during separate years.  Click on my user name for the full story.

    There is no drug on the market that is used prophylactically; in other words, "just in case" it comes back.  The regular CT's, the blood work -CBC and CMP, plus an awareness of any major changes in his body on his part is your best care at this point.  Scans at 3 months for a couple of years, then 6 months, then a year is standard.  And the Dr. may go to Ultra sound of the pelvis/abdomen with a chest X-ray.

    Q: Did hubby have a total bone scan before embarking on the surgery?  And is that how the sacral mets was discovered?  And was it also removed?

    Just to give you hope, mine was also Stage IV Clear Cell RCC in 2006, followed by the two recurrences.  So it's been 11 years since DX, and I have my yearly labs/CT in 2 weeks.

    Be as positive as you can muster up and Live!

    donna_lee

  • scor2016
    scor2016 Member Posts: 10
    #3
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    donna_lee said:

    No meds

    You can't take on more worry than is necessary; and worrying about further spread can be devastating to both of you.  That's why he'll have follow up tests as I did.  And yes, over the next 2 years following the intial surgery, it was discovered that  single nodes were growing, and each was removed...during separate years.  Click on my user name for the full story.

    There is no drug on the market that is used prophylactically; in other words, "just in case" it comes back.  The regular CT's, the blood work -CBC and CMP, plus an awareness of any major changes in his body on his part is your best care at this point.  Scans at 3 months for a couple of years, then 6 months, then a year is standard.  And the Dr. may go to Ultra sound of the pelvis/abdomen with a chest X-ray.

    Q: Did hubby have a total bone scan before embarking on the surgery?  And is that how the sacral mets was discovered?  And was it also removed?

    Just to give you hope, mine was also Stage IV Clear Cell RCC in 2006, followed by the two recurrences.  So it's been 11 years since DX, and I have my yearly labs/CT in 2 weeks.

    Be as positive as you can muster up and Live!

    donna_lee

    Thank you for the encouraging

    Thank you for the encouraging words Donna.  You are right that I should try not to worry but it is hard.  His met was found at the same time his kidney cancer was.  He did have a bone scan before the surgery.   It was removed by a surgeon at Vanderbilt.  He had a scan two months ago with another one scheduled in October. Scan  in June didn't show anything to be worried about. Wow you inspire me and give me hope! 11 years is remarkable! May God Bless you!!

  • Supersum
    Supersum Member Posts: 109 Member
    edited September 2017 #4
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    donna_lee said:

    No meds

    You can't take on more worry than is necessary; and worrying about further spread can be devastating to both of you.  That's why he'll have follow up tests as I did.  And yes, over the next 2 years following the intial surgery, it was discovered that  single nodes were growing, and each was removed...during separate years.  Click on my user name for the full story.

    There is no drug on the market that is used prophylactically; in other words, "just in case" it comes back.  The regular CT's, the blood work -CBC and CMP, plus an awareness of any major changes in his body on his part is your best care at this point.  Scans at 3 months for a couple of years, then 6 months, then a year is standard.  And the Dr. may go to Ultra sound of the pelvis/abdomen with a chest X-ray.

    Q: Did hubby have a total bone scan before embarking on the surgery?  And is that how the sacral mets was discovered?  And was it also removed?

    Just to give you hope, mine was also Stage IV Clear Cell RCC in 2006, followed by the two recurrences.  So it's been 11 years since DX, and I have my yearly labs/CT in 2 weeks.

    Be as positive as you can muster up and Live!

    donna_lee

    Adjuvant Treatment

    "There is no drug on the market that is used prophylactically; in other words, "just in case" it comes back."

    FYI Atezolizumab (brand name Tecentriq) is currently being trialed as an ajuvant treatemnt for post-nephrectomy patients with tumors exhibiting PDL1 expression and no metastasis so it should not be long before something is available in some cases anyway.

     

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