[Guest]

I have had IVP, ultrasound and a cystoscope of my bladder and kidneys. I was told I have some cancer cells in my right kidney. Though when sent to another hospital to be read , it came back inconclusive.
My doctor suggests we watch for 3 months, then consider kidney removal if a growth begins. Some of his fellow doctors say he should remove the kidney right now, even without a growth. Cancer cells do not go away. He says other than removal there is no other good treatment.
Does anyone out there have any thoughts in this area? The doctor has not mentioned any stages; only that a few atypical cells that at times are read as carsonoma are visible on examination.
Thanks for your responses.

[Guest]

I just don't know. To be honest, I've never heard of the detection of cancer "cells" in the kidney before - just a growth. And often, nowadays, the surgeon performs a partial nephrectomy is he is sure he can get it all that way.

If all you have are a few cells, my guess is that your cancer is pre-stage, or stage 1 at worst, which makes your prognosis extremely good.

As a rule, renal cancer is not fast-growing, so I don't think there is any great urgency, given that there's no evidence of the cells having invaded anything outside of your kidney. A three month observation period seems reasonable.

It might calm you to know that my kidney cancer was not detected until I had a 7.5 cm tumor that had spread into my renal vein. It was stage 3. I had my kidney and renal vein removed and have had absolutely no recurrence, 20 months after my surgery. Renal cancer is a bad cancer to get because it does not respond to treatments - it has to be cut out.....but if you get it all, you're home free! Good luck and God bless.
[quote] I have had IVP, ultrasound and a cystoscope of my bladder and kidneys. I was told I have some cancer cells in my right kidney... [/quote]