Active Surveillance vs. Treatment for NHL & Mass Against Kidneys
On Nov. 22, 2024 my lower back was hurting. I visited an ER. I was admitted. I had to stay for three days. I was told a 6.5 cm mass was leaning against my kidney preventing it from functioning. They said that the kidney had been rendered too damaged to even try and get it back up and running. They refused to even put a stent in.
After my second opinion at Karmanos, I was told that there is no way to literally "remove the mass." On December 2, 2024, I was diagnosed with low-grade B-Cell Non-Hodgkin follicular Lymphoma (NHL). 😔 The doctor recommended IMMUNOTHERAPY and/or chemotherapy, radiation to shrink the mass. I refuse to accept this diagnosis.
Going back, a little over a year ago, I had dermal fillers placed in my nose. The doctor overfilled. Immediately after the procedure, my face and neck got really dark. Ultimately, the doctor used Hyaluronidase to remove the filler. I insisted that there was still remaining filler. I could not only still feel the filler but had pictures to prove it. The doctor did not agree. He thought that pictures could be deceptive.
Back to the present, I visited a urologist on Thursday, December 26, 2024. I received a stent in my kidney on Friday, January 3. 2025. I am thinking that this will give me time to shrink the tumor on my own. I have been using soursop, black seed oil, and apricot kernels. I went back for a CT/PET scan. It stated the mass was under 5 cm. It was staged at stage I-II. Also, I have noticed that the darkness on my face and neck is subsiding. I also had another biopsy (where I learned that the doctor allowed a resident to complete after telling me that he would be the one to conduct the procedure but this is something I cannot change...so I am choosing not to dwell on it). I truly think that the dermal fillers somehow traveled to my blood stream and formed a granuloma.
The oncologist at this last appointment (after receiving the biopsy results) still insisted on rituximab and potentially chemo. He did not give me the biopsy results on paper (which I had previously asked for) until I was walking out of the door. When I got home, I read the report. I noticed two key terms: “microscopic examination of core biopsy show vaguely modular, atypical lymphocytic proliferation…” and "clinical correlation recommended."
My third opinion will be at The University of Michigan Rogell Cancer Center on February 13, 2025.
Has anyone ever had a mass that was leaning against the kidney or another vital organ and chose to pursue Active Surveillance?" How did it go?
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@schimmi, there are few members, who, like you have multiple cancer, including breast cancer, thyroid cancer and others. For example, see this discussion:
- Thyroid papillary carcinoma, breast cancer, neck lymph node cancer https://connect.mayoclinic.org/discussion/thyroid-papillary-carcinoma-breast-cancer-neck-lymph-node-cancer/
Has genetic testing ever been discussed with you?
@colleenyoung Yes, ironically I had a visit to discuss the (not concerning) results before the PET that revealed the different cancers.
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