Renal cell 7cm

Hi there!  Sorry you find yourself here though.  

Kidney cancer RCC is known to be slow growing and it is a definite positive that it is localised and caught early.  You seem to have only had one CT scan so this is the baseline.  The next scan will confirm any change.  There is still a stage 3 which is contained in the kidney before the stage 4 (which I have) when it has spread to another organ.  

I know how you feel.  After my diagnosis I was desperate to get some drugs on board and to start dealing with the cancer.  The idea of "do nothing" was laughable - carry on as I am right now, in this frame of mind?  No way!  There are lots of new immunotherapy drugs out there now for our cancer.  

I'd suggest you have time on your side with the diagnosis whilst it is still contained in the kidney.   I've started reading a Cognitive Behaviour Therapy book to get a better balance in my life and to stop the cancer consuming all my thoughts 24x7.  

Incidental findings are common with RCC (same with me) because it frequently doesn't present symptoms.  It's called the silent one.  

You'll find loads of friendly support on here.  We also have the occasional laugh.  

Hello Mmum please could you tell me if the CBT book you chose is helping you? I have recently been told my rcc is back after being OK for 13 years and am feeling very low. I had a radical nephrectomy  in 2002 then lung resections  in 2005 and 2009.  After that I was OK until September  this year when I collapsed and was taken to hospital. I had severe anemia and tests showed a growth in the top of my small bowel. I have been waiting to hear if surgery is possible and am on Sunititib at the moment. I have been so strong and positive in the past but this time I have really crumbled. I am 74 now and feel so overwhelmed this time. I am finding it so hard to pull myself together this time and face up to possibly a life dependent on the drugs,  I feel a bit guilty too as I am not young but I am afraid none the less. Any advice you could give me would be so good to hear. Thank you so much.

Hi there Granjulina,  Yes, the CBT book did help a bit.  Probably only a bit because I use a lot of these techniques already but it did re-inforce that my approach was working for me.  Immunotherapy is not really a life dependent on drugs.  I go in every 4 weeks and it takes 2 hours.  Some are tablet based.  13 years off a nephrectomy is great.  Have you thought about phoning the helpline to talk things through?  They are really helpful and skilled in this area.   This is all very recent recurrence though.  It's a big change and you need to give yourself time to come to terms with it.  Plus you're also in the pre-treatment stage when the uncertainty is greatest and of course that's going to cause anxiety.