Kidney cancer may have returned: Need encouragement

@lkhanson, this is hard news to digest. I'm tagging a few kidney cancer warriors, like @bomed @pml @nang @sally0526 @pcondon @collegeprof @azkidney57 to join this discussion.

While you're waiting for more information about the new mass found on your son's other kidney, let's talk mom to mom. I just put on the kettle. Imagine I've just brought you a cup of steaming tea. What's going through your mind? How is your son handling this news? When will he meet with the doctor to find out more? How are YOU doing? Really.

Thanks for getting back to me I appreciate it. This is his 3rd time around with cancer. His attitude is pretty good I took him out to dinner last night and we had a pretty good time. We are switching from all true to Sanford on Tuesday. He has an appointment with his kidney doctor on Monday and no other appointments have been set up and this is the reason that we are switching. I am confident that Sanford health will treat him well and attend immediately to his condition. A positive thought and knowing that he is in our Lord’s hands helps mama out a lot. He doesn’t want to admit it but I think he feels the same

lkhanson, I am so sorry to hear this news. It is just heartbreaking. It sounds like your son has struggled with health issues for most of his adulthood, hard for a mother to watch and go through, they will always be our babies! What prompted the MRI? Is this routine/maintenance or was he experiencing symptoms? When do you get the results?

My husband was diagnosed a year ago with stage four kidney cancer. The tumor was larger than his kidney. The doctor at the time said it had probably been growing for years which led me to believe it is slow growing, in fact I think he might have said that but I'm not sure if that is a correct statement. What I do know is that in the last two years clinical trials have come so far for kidney and other types of cancer and the FDA, based on the these results, have come up with a combination of immunotherapy and target therapy treatments. Something that was not available 9 years ago when your son had kidney cancer. This has worked wonders on my husband and the tumors on his lung have disappeared. He did have his left kidney removed.

It's hard not to go down the rabbit hole and to research and to fear the worst. But know that research and technology have come a very long way in even the last few years. I believe there might be options you have now that you did not have 9 years ago. When you say 1.6 I am assuming mm? Hopefully that means it is in an early stage, if malignant.

You and your son will be in my thoughts. Please keep us posted. It's always nice to know you are not alone, we are here for you during this very scary time.

Just a brief comment that I had posted before as I had a small cancerous mass on my right kidney and my urologist sent me to an interventional radiologist where he performed cryoblation as an outpatient at my local hospital. Basically, he froze the mass, and the mass dissipated. I had annual x-rays for 5 years with no reoccurrence, and continue cancer free. I am told that this procedure has a very high success rate. BTW, my wife also has Crohn's disease and has infusions at Mayo every 8 weeks, and has worked well for her.

I think we are all sending you and your son a group hug! It sounds like there are many options at this point in time, and we all hope one of them will be the solution,
We are all pulling for you both with many prayers headed your way.

It is crazy how all of us fighting the fear of cancer quickly become 'family' on this dialogue Mayo website. I know very little medically as I am just recently diagnosed with UTUC Kidney cancer. But I do encourage you to do your own personal research via computer search on line. Read all the medical research and clinical trials. Google the layman meaning of all those medical terms you don't understand (which can be about every 5th word.) Contact the manufacturer of the drugs prescribed by your selected doctors and ask about drug side effects and current 'best practices' for drug administration. Remember, being a doctor is much like being a plumber or a banker...it's just a job! The doctors typically fall into routine practices and become 'comfortable' with habits of their own standard way of practice. They cannot possibly personalize their care of every patient to the degree that you and I personalize our concern for our own health or the health of those we love. So, be proactive and take control of doing your own medical research for current care options and discuss those options with various doctors. If your doctors have not heard of a procedure or have never personally performed a needed surgery or administrated a discovered drug...find someone who has! Consider a visit to Mayo Clinic or M D Anderson in Texas. God Bless your son. His strength, bravery and faith has brought him through more than most of us could endure. Keep us informed,

Thank you to everybody who has commented and giving me advice this is what I needed I am sending all of you hugs love and prayers thank you

So sorry for your pain. Sending prayers of peace & strength for your son and you. Hang in there; wish you both well.

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I Pray for STRENGTH, PEACE and the GOODNESS OF GOD!!!!!