Kidney mass

Wow!  That sounds like a world record in length of time for a biopsy!    Mine was just 10-20 mins.  
They diagnosed my cancer from the CT scan alone, so the biopsy was just for information on the type of kidney cancer and therefore to guide the treatment decision.  

On the basis that your last CT scan was Feb, it's normal watch-and-wait protocol to have another after 3 months.  So you would be entitled to another one to see if it's grown or spread or whether they can diagnose cancer with certainty.   Is another option to try again with a biopsy or has it failed because it's in a tricky position perhaps?  Or you can ask for a second opinion from another Urologist.  

You are also within your rights to say "not yet" or "need more info" to a nephrectomy.  

Thank you so much for taking time to read and  reply. Hope you are keeping well!!

Can I ask if you had any symptoms like? Did they say conformed cancer? Mine on first consultation said  these kind of mass are 85 percent chances of being cancer.this make me even more confuse to take decision on surgery thinking what if it is benign.

No symptoms.  Like you it was an incidental finding - an escalation from an abdominal US scan to investigate poor liver function tests.    Kidney cancer is known as "the silent one" because many people don't get the symptoms (blood in urine, change in bowel habits, weight loss).  For many (+me) it's already spread by the time it's discovered.  

I had my urology appt soon after the CT scan.  They said straight away it was cancer and had spread to the lungs.  Once it's spread then treatment is the best option.  Too late for surgery, so mines is a different situation.   

• Wow, I'm sorry to hear this. I know how scary nerve racking it can be. I myself in Jan 2022 had covid the second time and hit harder than the first time I had it and ended up finding out I had fractured my rib after doing different scans from Ultrasounds, x-rays and ended up going to a CT w and without contrast due to an unidentified mass on my kidney, then they recommended doing a CT 3 phase because it was hard to see it. 1.5cm solid mass, they had me go for an MRI w and without contrast and from there referred me to a urologist. I had my initial 20min appointment to go over my options. It was either do biopsy and if it's negative it's not a guarantee that they got the spot and would need to do imaging every 6 months. Or skip biopsy and do imaging or have a left robotic partial nephrectomy done. I am 36 years old, married with 4 boys ranging from 6 to 17 yrs old. Recently quit my job with all these appointments and had been on fmla already for the majority of this year. After knowing my grandfather had kidney cancer, my family and I decided because I am so you g and this is caught so soon regardless being malignant or not want it gone. I have roughly a 80-90% chance it's cancer. So I had the left robotic partial nephrectomy done on May 31, 2022 and have had a lot of concerns and in out of the ER twice in 1 week to get readmitted for another 5 days to also find that, the tumor was missed. The 1.5cm solid tumor was in the middle of my kidney and the surgeon missed it or didn't go deep enough so now I'm being referred to University of Michigan. If you feel pressured, look elsewhere and make sure you research research. I happen to be in that 5% chance category of things not going as planned unfortunately and now facing possibly having to remove my entire kidney. Go with your feeling and don't let anyone pressure you into it either. It's a big decision and very scary. I hope you can get the care you need and are able to get you taken care of. 

Hi, mine was picked up incidentally during an MRI scan for issues I was experiencing with my Crohns disease. Urologist told me it was 37mm and most likely to be cancer so arranged for another CT scan with contrast to check my lungs, thankfully these came back all clear. I've since seen the urology surgeon who told me that too difficult to biopsy and recommended partial robotic assisted surgery but warned me that it might end up as full removal as it located in a difficult place. He told me that it was 50/50 cancer but all the signs indicated that it probably was. I wasn't offered a choice about surgery but I had already made up my mind to have it done as i didn't want to take the chance on leaving it and then having it spread elsewhere. I'm currently on the waiting list which might be another 3-4 months which isn't great for my mental health I have to admit

I'm 62 and it good health apart from the Crohns, cycle 80-100 miles per week so I consider myself relatively fit although I was diagnosed with high blood pressure 2 years ago and this has got me thinking whether that might have been the first sign that something was up as high blood pressure can be associated with kidney cancer.

Research shows that kidney cancer grows relatively slowly so you have time, if you choose, to do some more research and see how things progress. 

Good luck with whatever choice you make

First of all thank you so much for taking time to share your experience, quite similar to mine. Sorry to hear that u have to go through all those problem even after surgery. I pray all goes well and u feel better.

I am also very nervous and was terribly shocked when consultant said likely 85 percent chance of being cancer and handed me a kidney cancer book to read at home. I spent few weeks crying thinking about my children. I agreed to surgery initially as urologist suggested and did preop check everything but later on urologist suggested to do biopsy. Did biopsy, took 2 and half hour and was told it was in difficult place. It was CT guided biopsy. Did not got call for biopsy result for 5 weeks I had to chase for it. Result was there but I didn't get call. Biopsy result says no malignancy but Dr says they might not have got the right sample. I asked even after that 2 and half hour of CT guided attempt? With all these it makes me even harder to make decision.

I asked surgeon to stay on surveillance for a while and he said how long I wanna stay? I said I want another scan, it's been almost 5 months since previous scan so now m waiting for scan and then I have to decide what to do. According to Dr surgery is best option but they keep telling about all these risk and m not even 36, worries me to hell.

Did they do any blood test or any other test apart from scan to diagnose you? I keep wondering if there could be any other test that could help us to guide if it is definitive cancer or harmless tumor?

Thank you so much for talking time to write. Hope and pray all goes well with you.

I have also tried to read and research and as u said research says renal cancers mostly incidental finding and the treatment option if not spread is surgery and it's diagnosed with scans.

Research also says that there are many harmless tumors which if not been found would have not cause any harm but nowadays it's found incidentally and as Dr protocol or whatever they say for treatment  they take the whole kidney out and people live with 1 kidney for life. This makes me think about going for surgery. They have only done one scan and doesnot say definitive cancer and ask to remove whole kidney? I questioned my urologist if I am in that 20percent if being non cancerous can I be in surveillance at least for a while? He keeps insisting for surgery.I told him I am happy to go for surgery if it grows and there are other reasons to suggest it's cancer.

I have huge respect for these guys as I am a nurse myself but in my case I have felt little disappointed how it's been explained and handled so it makes me think even more to make decision.

Algud said:

Did they do any blood test or any other test apart from scan to diagnose you? I keep wondering if there could be any other test that could help us to guide if it is definitive cancer or harmless tumor?

There is no blood test for kidney cancer. Sorry.