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← Return to Stage 3a ccRCC - Keytruda or Surveillance?
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Stage 3a ccRCC - Keytruda or Surveillance?
Kidney Cancer | Last Active: 6 days ago | Replies (7)Comment receiving replies
Local oncologist recommended Keytruda every 6 weeks for a year. Second opinion oncologist at Duke Cancer Institute said Keytruda was not warranted with G1 tumor grade. He requested my pathology slides so he could have his pathologist evaluate them. The new pathology report lists my tumor as G2 (instead of G1), notes the tumor was necrotic (instead of that not being noted by the original pathologist), and the tumor extends into the pelvicalyceal (instead of perinephric tissue/renal sinus only). I don't know if that will change his recommendation. If it doesn't, I will have to decide which route to take, or to get a third opinion. If he changes his mind and also recommends Keytruda, it's a no-brainer to go that way.
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I agree it is a hard decision; I have been on Keytruda for kidney cancer for almost a year, since I decided against total nephrectomy because of my age after diagnosis two years ago. I had MRI last week that showed malignant tumor had slightly reduced in size, so things are stable. My 12th infusion is scheduled for next week; 6 more scheduled. Up to now Keytruda has worked for me with the only side effect being persistent skin rash which is very bothersome. Other scans have shown no spread of the cancer. I also had high dose radiation to stop daily bleeding from the lesion done last year; so far I have been free of clots or blood for 230 days. Blood tests given before each infusion have been largely normal. I remain positive and enjoy each day of relative health as a blessing.