Just diagnosed with stage 4 kidney cancer: What treatments help?

Get a second opinion in terms of treatment and next steps, always good to have another point of view.

This too shall pass.

They are concerned now that it may have spread to my brain. I had a CT scan this morning and wait to get the results back.

Depending how it looks may have to have an MRI on my brain. was trying to stay away from the MRI, I am very Closter phobic and would have to put meout for it.

Hi again Ron. If your doctor has a connection to Cleveland Clinic he/she will have access to and be willing to work with their experts in kidney cancer for consultation. I had my surgery at the Cleveland Clinic and also consulted with an oncologist there who specializes in kidney cancer.

Did you have your appointment this week?

We had our first meeting Thursday. He did say that he had a collage in the lower 48 that was an expert in Kidney cancer and was going to use him as a consultant if I was ok with that.

My wife and I really lie him and the team that he has set up to work with me.

I met him Thursday and he scheduled a brain CT scan for the next day. I was surprised that he could get it scheduled so fast. The hospital called me Friday morning and said it would be a week, and my wife called the doctor, and they said that was ridicules and called the hospital, an hour later I was at the hospital getting my CT scan!

He doesn't want to start treatment until he gets the results of the brain scan, he said that would help him decide what treat he would need to go with.

I am hoping that it hasn't spread to the brain already.

Hi Ron. Is your doc in Alaska an oncologist? It sounds like he’s on top of things and has access to experts. I’m glad you like him. That’s important! Just remember there many stage 4 warriors carrying on many years after diagnosis. I know it’s stressful. Take things a step at a time and ask for an anti-anxiety drug like Xanax if you need it. It can help.

My ct scan on my brain came back clean, but he still wants to do an MRI to make sure.

He is looking at doing either Ipilimumab and Nivolumab or Pembrolizumab and Axitinib for treatment, anyone have expereance with eather one of these?

I was empressed that he called me on a Saterday afternoon to let us know how the CT scan came back instead of waiting until Monday, my wife was very happy. the doctor he is talking with is Dr. Even Hall.

He did give me some lorazepam to help with the stress and sleep. The VA made me an appointment to see a phycologist to talk about the stress and getting something more for the stress. He could only do a little for now because they are really watching physicians prescribing narcotics.

It is really too bad that some people are abusing drugs so people that really need it have a hard time getting pain or other narcotics. .

Dear Ron,
I’m also 67 years old, and at the end of 2023 I was diagnosed with kidney cancer. It was discovered by chance as well. I underwent a partial nephrectomy, and I’m currently in the follow-up phase. I believe surgery is the main treatment option. There’s also the possibility of freezing the cancer cells, but only your doctor can tell you if that applies in your situation.

Regarding work, I’ve continued working, and I think it’s helped me a lot emotionally. I’ve always been active in sports, and I still go running and work out. As for my diet, I’ve cut out anything that ends up turning into sugar in the body—of course, that includes sugar itself, flour, and so on.

Keep your spirits up; try not to focus solely on the illness. Make your days as positive and beautiful as possible. Practice meditation, and try to stay calm.

Sending a warm embrace,
Analía Soria Batista

Thank you,

they do want to cut it out after they get it under control they said.

Not sure about work, it can be very stressful, I manager a large retail store and the combination of stress from work and the cancer is a lot of stress for me. It's affecting my sleep and home life. I am lucky to get 3 or 4 hours of sleep at night.

My concentration at work is terrible and the stress has made it so I have trouble remembering for 2 or 3 seconds, I will get up to go talk to someone and forget what I was going to do before I get out the door. Just not sure if I should take leave for a while and concentrate on the cancer. Also not having any idea how I am going to react to the treatment and how that is going to affect work is a concern.

enough whining, thanks everyone for the positive comments!

Hang in there Ron.
It is very stressful. I was also losing sleep... Just became a first-time grandfather 2 months before kidney cancer was confirmed.
My kidney cancer was found by 'accident'. I went in for lung CT scan. Good news is lungs look good, but they found something in my right kidney.
Went on for kidney scan to verify the mass.
Biopsy confirmed it was kidney cancer.
I had no symptoms.
Surgery on 12/12/24 to remove 10% of right kidney. So far so good.
Plan is to get MRI every 3 months this year and twice next year.

This too shall pass!

Hi all, I am 36 in the UK and been diagnosed with incurable kidney cancer that has spread to my lung and liver. I'm otherwise fit and healthy. I am not letting this beat me. I am searching globally for more state of the art drugs, treatment, anything. I have looked at Mayo clinic and it has come out as top search on Google. Please can anyone recommend anything for me?