Greetings!
Following a diagnosis of gall stones and the removal of my gall bladder, I have been informed that I also have a 5-6 cm mass in the lower pole of my left kidney. (I found out on 5/11/05) This mass was found upon a review of the ultrasound and CT scan for the gall bladder problem. Although I have not been experiencing any pain or symptoms, I was referred to a urologist who ordered an additional CT scan, chest xrays and blood works. I am scheduled to meet with him tomorrow morning for the results. I am dreading the meeting because, even before he ordered the barrage of new tests, he told me that it looks like cancer and that, regardless of whether the mass is benign or malignant the kidney will have to be removed. Should I be concerned with his premature diagnosis?
Thanks

I really can't say what you should be expecting but I know it is really scary to hear that you have a mass and had no idea. Please let us know your results and any details that you can get on why your Dr. suspects cancer. There are some of us here who are confused with how they diagnose whether or not it is cancer. Hoping and praying for you take care.

Hi Lorenamay,

I am sorry to hear that you have a Kidney Mass on your left Kidney. When you
see the Urologist, please be calm and don't panic.

I have a Kidney Mass in size of 4.5 cm on my left Kidney and I was told that I
must have my left Kidney removed one year ago. Don't know if it is cancerous or not.The CT Scan and MRI images showed the Kidney Mass. Blood test was normal. I have no pain or symptoms from my left Kidney too.

Please let us know what is your test results and what the Urologist tells you.

Thank you for you advice and kindness. I am scheduled to have my entire kidney removed on June 1. The Dr. said that I am at a stage 1, which I am grateful for. Although he can't say for sure until the actual tumor is removed and tested, it doesn't appear to have metastacized. He does not foresee a need for radiation and/or chemo.

He further said that I am fortunate to have had a gall bladder attack. If not for that incident, my kidney cancer would have gone undiagnosed until it had progressed into something much more serious than what I have encountered now. Kidney cancer signs are often overlooked or attributed to something else. For example, warning signs are blood in urine (I thought it was due to my menopausal status)

Lower backache (blamed it on my office chair)

Pain in the side/flank (after effects of the gall stones?)

Rapid weight loss (I hadn't lost a pound)

Now comes the difficult part.....explaining it to my family.

Thank you for your prayers. I am sure that I will visit this sight often.
Thank you and God bless.

Did the Urologist confirm your Kidney Mass (Tumor) is cancerous ? What kind
of surgrey is scheduled on June 1, Radical Nephrectomy or Laparoscopy ? Did
you search this forum under topics "Renal Cell Carcinoma" and "RCC" for more
details of Benefits and Risks from the surgrey ? I was hesitating and cancelling
my surgrey since last year because I have learned from this forum that people
did get their Kidney Cancer spreading to their Lung after removing their Kidney.

William nice to see you out there how are you feeling?
Lorenamay I am sorry you have to go through this though I have read extensively on this and stage I renal cancer has an extremely good outlook so just stay positive (as by your tone it sounds like you already are) and I can understand the anticipation of telling family as I surely did when I found out about my masses (though suspected benign) I am still truely sorry and I hope you do really well as I do with everyone, I hate how when I write people that it always sounds as if all I care about is people with kidney problems, not so, when I was very very young I decided God put me here to save THE WORLD and that anyone I encountered I could save, soul and body and I thought if I prayed for as many possible bad situated people and as many senarios that my little 7 year old mind would let me imagine before I could just simply no longer keep my little eyes open nor my mind from drifting to sleep that God would indeed help and save and save not because they were deserving or save because they were too young or had a purpose but saved because I myself was an angel of God and I belived for every prayer for every situation that HE would allow one because HE would see my love not just for my family and friends but for All HE had created for me and all of us and anyway not sure why I am telling you this exept that I think we ourselves can make a difference in our own destiny and in others God Bless you and Please keep us posted for I know me myself have worried about you all day I wish you the very best

William nice to see you out there how are you feeling?
Lorenamay I am sorry you have to go through this though I have read extensively on this and stage I renal cancer has an extremely good outlook so just stay positive (as by your tone it sounds like you already are) and I can understand the anticipation of telling family as I surely did when I found out about my masses (though suspected benign) I am still truely sorry and I hope you do really well as I do with everyone, I hate how when I write people that it always sounds as if all I care about is people with kidney problems, not so, when I was very very young I decided God put me here to save THE WORLD and that anyone I encountered I could save, soul and body and I thought if I prayed for as many possible bad situated people and as many senarios that my little 7 year old mind would let me imagine before I could just simply no longer keep my little eyes open nor my mind from drifting to sleep that God would indeed help and save and save not because they were deserving or save because they were too young or had a purpose but saved because I myself was an angel of God and I belived for every prayer for every situation that HE would allow one because HE would see my love not just for my family and friends but for All HE had created for me and all of us and anyway not sure why I am telling you this exept that I think we ourselves can make a difference in our own destiny and in others God Bless you and Please keep us posted for I know me myself have worried about you all day I wish you the very best

Hi awkitty77,

Thanks for asking about me. I am feeling ok and don't feel anything from my
left Kidney. However, I have on and off burning sensation on my tonque and
upper chest. I have consulted ENT doctor and my Primary doctor about this.
Unfortunately, they don't know how to treat this.

William,
Seriously? The removal of a cancerous kidney can have possible negative effects on the lung and may even promore lung cancer? Yikes!
I've done some research have not come across a single article regarding that possibility. That's scary! Can you direct me to some reading materials on that? I need to do more research!

Please click the Search in this forum and type RCC and then press button GO.
You will see many topics about Kidney Cancer, especially under the writer of
Brighterday. I have read at least three cases in this forum that people had the
Kidney Cancer spread to their Lung after the removal of their cancerous Kidney.
You can also go to Urology Channel Web Site on which you can read that they
indicated that doctors should inform their patients of what kind of risks of
having a Kidney removed.

William,
Thank you for the info. I will check it out immediately. This news has certainly caused me to slow down and reconsider my scheduled surgery. I have never had to deal with any health problems of this magnitude. My initial reactions was "Just get it out of me!"

As I said earlier, my surgery is scheduled for June 1st. It is called a "left laproscopic hand-assist radical nephrectomy". In the interim, I have been prescribed a drug called Nitrofurantoin-macro and some stuff to drink the day before the surgery called Golytely.

In addition, I have yet to inform my daughter. She is my only child and is dealing with her own problems right now. Fortunately they are not health related. She has 3 "tween-agers".

Again, thanks for listening!

I am sorry to hear that you have to go through all these. I am sure that no one wants to leave a Kidney Mass (Tumor) in his/her body. Unfortunately, Kidney is one of the organs in our bodies and it does a great job to filter the blood into urine. My doctor told me that with one remaining Kidney, I could live as a normal man. Who knows ? I think that this is depending on cancerous or not and the safety of surgery.