Has anybody had this experience?
My partner had his right kidney removed in 2013 after being diagnosed with clear cell renal carcinoma. Over the next ten years, he had each of his adrenal glands removed at different times, 20% of his pancreas and his spleen, all due to RCC metastases. He is fit and well and maintains a very positive outlook, despite having to permanently shield because his immune system is severely compromised.
On his last CT scan, they saw a growth in his remaining kidney measuring 10mm x 5mm. Looking back at his previous scan (6 months earlier) it was there but only 3mm x 1mm, it has grown. It was not noted at the time because it was too small. He is having a timed CT scan in three weeks time with contrast dye, in order for them to hopefully see what it is. Then an appointment three weeks after that, with the consultant.
He is the cool one, I'm the worrier. Can people live without kidneys? Can they take part of the kidney instead of the whole one, depending where it is of course?
I have had experience of kidney dialysis with my mum She had kidney failure (Goodpastures disease, not cancer) and had dialysis for 7 years before dying of related heart problems.
Any reassurance would help. Reality is OK too :-)
Thank you,
Hi Ceejay,
I'm so sorry your partner has had ongoing health problems. He has been through a great deal in the last few years.
I don't know a great deal about this personally but firstly, I know there are procedures that will spare his remaining kidney. The size of this lesion is really quite small still, and provided he is fit enough for surgery, they can remove this with a partial nephrectomy. They may equally try a different approach such as ablation, which I think is a little less invasive. Yes, if the lesion is in an accessible place, they certainly can take just the lesion and a small margin (that's a Partial) which leaves a lot of his kidney. At the size it is, even if it were not easy to take off, they may still be able to take it out without removing all his kidney. The scans will show where it is and how invasive it is. The rate of growth is pretty normal/average: I think it's a mean growth of 6mm per year so that's not excessive despite that being a little above the average. We're still talking just a few millimetres.
The good bit is that this has been found whilst still very small.
You have already had experience of dialysis and yes, it's possible to live without kidneys but the options are travelling most days to a dialysis centre, or home dialysis. Neither are very pleasant as it eats into your life a great deal, but as you know from your mum, this can still give many years of life beyond removal of the kidneys.
It likely won't come to that, as hopefully your partner will be a good candidate for a partial nephrectomy. I think the surgeons will try to spare as much of the kidney as possible, where it is the only kidney.
Your partner seems to have a very positive attitude despite all his health issues. This in itself will help him through whatever is to come. 
