holy shhh...
ULTRASOUND REPORT:
left kidney
very likely to be a renal carcinoma.
a non-homogenous mass 8.3cm by 7.8cm by 6.1 cm
occupying most of the mid and lower pole of left kidney.
mass is mostly very vascular
10mm calculus above mid pole
no hydro-nephrosis
left renal veign normal bloodflow
In my right kidney I have three stones, the biggest is 6 mm.
Nephrectomy NOT!
http://www.google.co.nz/url?sa=t&source=web&ct=res&cd=1&ved=0CAYQFjAA&url=http%3A%2F%2Fhomepage.mac.com%2Fdavidgalvin%2F.Public%2FRenal%2520Cell%2520Cancer.ppt&ei=_eu_S87uI4HY7AOWltm3CQ&usg=AFQjCNEXTJdtQeeS_az3BJUIrxqoQbrSag&sig2=DkbHa_-SOfpzc_N5DdV7PQ SAVED LOCALLY nephrectomy_NOT---Renal Cell Cancer.ppt
Kidney cancer, currently affects more than 36,000 people in the United States. Although kidney cancer was first reported in 1826, scientists have not yet conclusively determined its cause. Kidney cancer occurs in almost twice as many men as women, and most often develops after the age of 40. However, the disease has been seen in children as young as six months old.
Kidney Cancer Risks
People are at a higher risk of developing kidney cancer if they have certain characteristics called risk factors.
Family History: People with a family history of kidney cancer are nearly four times more likely to develop the disease.
Von Hippel-Lindau (VHL) syndrome: VHL is a very rare illness that runs in some families. People with VHL are predisposed to develop renal (kidney) cell carcinoma, the main cause of kidney cancer. Through genetic testing, the VHL gene mutation can now be detected.
Smoking: Cigarette smoking may account for as much as one fourth of all cases and is a major risk factor for kidney cancer. This includes cigar smoking.
Obesity: Research shows that obesity may increase the chance of developing kidney cancer. Possibly the result of a poor diet.
Treatment Options
Surgery, performed by a urology surgeon, is the primary treatment for kidney cancer. The urology surgeon will decide whether it is necessary to have a full or partial nephrectomy (removal of the kidney). Although surgery is not always a cure, it is often successful in getting rid of the cancer. Doctors often use the term remission, rather than cure, because there is no guarantee the disease will not return.
The urology surgeon will decide whether to perform a standard nephrectomy, in which the kidney is removed through an incision in the back, or a Laparoscopic Radical Nephrectomy, in which a urology surgeon makes a small incision to insert a laparoscope, a small thin tube with a camera on the end, to view the surgical field. Then other tiny incisions are made by the urology surgeon to insert miniature surgical instruments to remove the kidney. It’s benefits, when compared to open surgery, include a shorter hospital stay, shorter recovery time and less blood loss.
Another minimally invasive surgery technique is to use either heat or cold energy to treat tumors. Performed by a urology surgeon these techniques are cryoablation, which freezes the tumor to -150 degrees Centigrade with a long, thin probe inserted into the tumor. Another option, your urology surgeon may choose to perform radiofrequency ablation which is the same concept as cryoablation except it uses heat.
Radiation therapy is reserved for kidney cancer instances where the goal of therapy is only to relieve or diminish the symptoms of the disease, because radiation is not an effective alternative to surgery. Occasionally, radiation therapy may be given after surgery if the urology surgeon could not remove all of the tumor or if the tumor regrows in the original surgical site. To reduce symptoms, radiation may also be directed to sites (such as bone or brain) where the cancer has spread. Radiation is generally not considered a curative therapy for most types of kidney cancer.
Chemotherapy is generally ineffective against kidney tumors. But in the case of a metastatic tumor, your urology surgeon may choose to perform chemotherapy along with surgery or other localized therapy.
Immunotherapy is extremely effective to renal cell carcinoma. Two types of immunotherapies are used to treat metastatic RCC. Interferon-Alpha is a protein produced by white blood cells in response to a viral infection. It increases antigens on the surface of cancer cells, making them more susceptible to attack by the immune system. The other option is Interleukin-2 which is a protein that stimulates the growth of immune cells and activates them to destroy tumor cells.
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