Kidney Cancer

[EMILIO]

MY NAME IS EMILIO, AND I AM 47 YEARS OLD. IN SEPTEMBER, I FOUND OUT I HAD RENAL CELL CARCINOMA, BY CHANCE, AND I UNDERWENT A PARTIAL NEPHRECTOMY PRETTY MUCH RIGHT AWAY. AFTER I HEALED, I HAD A BIOPSY ON MY TAILBONE, WHERE SOME LESIONS WERE SEEN, AND I THEN FOUND OUT IT WAS ALSO THE SAME CANCER AS WAS IN MY KIDNEY, AND HAD SPREAD TO MY TAILBONE, SACRUM, AND UPPER FEMUR. I BASICALLY WENT FROM STAGE 1 TO STAGE 4 IN ONE CALL. MY PATHOLOGY SHOWED I HAVE TYPE 2 PAPILLARY RCC, WHICH IS RESISTENT TO MOST COMMON TREATMENTS. FROM WHAT I HAVE BEEN TOLD, AND STUDIED, THIS IS A VERY UNPREDICTABLE CANCER, AND EVERYONE REACTS DIFFERENTLY. MY FRUSTRATION COMES WITH NOT KNOWING HOW LONG I HAVE, AND WHAT A NATURAL PROGRESSION TO THIS DISEASE WILL BE. SO FAR I HAVE UNDERGONE 13 DAYS OF I.M.R.T. RADIATION ON MY LOWER SPINE, AND AM HAVING MONTHLY ZOMETA I.V. INFUSIONS TO STRENGTHEN MY BONES. I AM COPING FINE, AND HAVE ACCEPTED THIS, I THINK PRETTY GOOD, JUST CURIOUS IF ANYONE MAY ALSO BE GOING THROUGH WHAT I AM GOING THROUGH, AND TO SEE HOW IT IS GOING. ANY INFO I CAN GET, AND FURTHER EDUCATION ON WHAT I CAN EXPECT WOULD BE APPRECIATED.

THANKS,

EMILIO

[coconut64]

Hi Emilio,

Here is a website with some info I found very quickly http://www.cancerguide.org/rcc_subtypes.html

The type of rcc that you have is considered a subtype & I think there's two types within the subtype. If you are not sure of which you have after reading this info please ask your doctor so you can go on with your research. You never know what you may be able to find out.

The reason I joined today is I am waiting on a diagnosis & have been sick since Oct '08. I hate all of this I am only 45 & female & really f'n scared! I am tuff though & am willing to put up a fight if it makes any sense. I have to find out what kind of evil I am up against first.

Lissa

[EMILIO]

HI LISA, HOW ARE YOU DOING? THANKS FOR THE REPLY, IT MEANS ALOT TO ME, AND I SEE YOU FOUND OUT ABOUT THE SAME TIME AS I DID. HANG TOUGH, I KNOW IT'S HARD, BUT WHAT CHOICE DO WE REALLY HAVE? MINE IS TYPE 2 PAPILLARY RCC. I CAN'T HAVE CHEMO, SINCE IT ISN'T EFFECTIVE, AND NEITHER RADIATION, ALTHOUGH I DID HAVE IT FOR PAIN. IT'S ALL STILL VERY STARNGE TO ME TO HAVE THIS AT 47, BUT AGAIN, THINGS HAPPEN, AND I GUESS WHY NOT ME.

KEEP IN TOUCH, AND I'LL KEEP YOU IN MY THOUGHTS.

TAKE CARE,

EMILIO

[EMILIO]

HI LISA, JUST WANTED TO SEE HOW YOU WERE DOING.