Kidney Cancer Therapy

Question: Treatment of advanced kidney cancer and drugs ? http://www.kidneycancer.org/knowledge/learn/therapies-for-advanced-kidney-cancer What are the news drugs? Your odds of survival ?

Answer: Nexavar, Sutent, Rad 001 are some of the latest, though I am not sure if Rad 001 is FDA approved yet. There are also some new drugs in stage 1 of investigation. I have been fighting the disease for 9 years now.

Question: If a female has had chemo therapy for their kidney's not cancer could they have babies?

Answer: a freind of mine had low grade chemo for a hydatid mole and then went on to conceive, so i think if the chemo is mild then it doesnt affect fertility

Question: Kidney failure with no dialysis? Ok so my grandpa has been in the hospital for about 2 weeks now. He has a rare disease called central pontine myelinosis (unsure about that spelling). He had kidney cancer a few years ago and they removed one of his kidneys. Now his other kidney is failing and they moved him out of physical therapy back into the hospital. He doesn't want dialysis. What can I expect?

Answer: Find out how much function he has in his remaining kidney. The fact that he has been hospitalised would suggest that he doesn't have much. Next, talk to your grandad and find out why he doesn't want dialysis. There are lots of different types and there are some you can do at home, overnight whilst you are asleep. Talk to the team at the hospital, they will discuss the options with him and he might find one that he feels he can cope with. In any event he can make an informed decision. If your grandad doesn't want any treatment, then he will die. The hospital will help him all they can, whatever decision he makes. Talk to the medical team. I wish you all the best.

Question: Is it possible the pet scan my mom had today is accurate after only 8 weeks after radiation therapy? My mom had radiation therapy 8 weeks ago and just did a pet scan today to see if cancer is still in lung it is not and now spots have shown up in her liver,kidney & adrenal gland. What is the chance that is accurate after just 8 weeks after radiation therapy?

Answer: Cancer is different for everybody. It can go into remission after a few months for some people and a few years for others. The lungs may be free of it, but it can spread to other organs. That was how my Grandfather was. He had cancer in his gallbladder. They were able to get rid of it there. Then it spread to the lungs and from there it went to other parts of the body. You just never know with cancer. Sometimes it has a mind of its' own. Just stay strong for you mom. You never know what the next day will bring. That is how cancer is.

Question: Is it true that chemotherapy makes it worse when you have sarcoma cancer? My cousin was diagnozed with the intestine cancer (I was told it was an uterine at first) a few weeks ago. The cancer has already spread to her lungs, kidneys and everywhere else. She had a surgery and they removed lots of it from the different parts of her body. She felt better but then the doctors run some tests and found out that it was a sarcoma type. I know that the sarcoma resists to the chemo therapy treatments but is it true that it might make it worse? I never heard of it but the doctor says that there is a chance that the chemo will make more damage than good. She was asking my mom whether she should go for chemo. Does anyone have any experience with sarcoma in such a late stage? What should we expect? What will happen next? And did someone at her situation lived for long? Is she going to experience a lot of pain? It's hard for me to ask these questions her doctor because she is in Europe and I get all information on the phone only. I am scared.

Answer: There are over 60 different types of sarcoma and all are treated differently. So, it is difficult to respond to your question. It is not true however that sarcoma does not respond to chemotherapy. My son had a 75 percent response to first line high dose chemotherapy for abdominal sarcoma. He also underwent three major surgeries to remove the bulk of tumor. He had a treatment called intraperitoneal hyperthermic chemoperfusion to treat the microscopic cells embedded in the abdominal cavity. He has also undergone low dose chemo maintenance with no evidence of disease for 8 months. Currently his disease is stable and he is asymptomatic and living with cancer. It is highly recommended that your cousin locate a sarcoma specialist or be treated at a sarcoma center. Sarcoma is extremely rare and needs to be treated by someone who has had experience with the disease. Most doctors and oncologist have never seen or treated this type of cancer . . and many patients are misdiagnosed and their treatment delayed or ineffective because of mismanagement. Sarcoma Centers - includes centers around the world http://www.sarcomaalliance.com/master.html?SubCategoryId=2 Find out the exact name of your cousins sarcoma and than look for specific information about the disease. You can also visit the Sarcoma Alliance for information: http://www.sarcomaalliance.com/ Medline Plus: Soft tissue sarcoma http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/softtissuesarcoma.html What is a soft tissue sarcoma http://www.cancer.org/docroot/cri/content/cri_2_4_1x_what_is_sarcoma_38.asp NIC: Soft tissue sarcoma http://www.cancer.gov/cancertopics/types/soft-tissue-sarcoma/ Cancerbackup: soft tissue sarcoma http://www.cancerbackup.org.uk/Cancertype/Softtissuesarcomas

Question: My mother had cancer in the rectum and as treatment she was given 5FU and radio therapy for one week? My mother had cancer in the rectum and as treatment she was given 5FU and radio therapy for one week. However the doctors could not continue the treatment as she developed fever and diarrhoea. She was then on saline for nearly a month and could not consume solid very much. It has been almost two months she has not yet recovered. Doctors have done all medical examinations including Kidney function test, full blood, blood / urine culture, TB test, chest X-ray, sputum test, etc and the results are normal. She is now on antibiotic. She still has fever twice a day (101F) and her ESR level is 104. She was also given blood. They have already done a test called CRC and suspect possible swellings in organs. Now they are going to do a lever biopsy. Could some one tell us what could be the cause of it. Please help me

Answer: Yes - Some of the more commonly used chemotherapy regimens administrated for colorectal cancer include FOLFOX (5-FU, leucovorin, and oxaliplatin), 5-FU and leucovorin alone, or capecitabine. Your doctor may recommend a particular one of these if it is better suited to your health needs. The number of cycles of chemotherapy with this medicine and radiation therapy (No. of fractions and total amount) will depend on the actual stage of disease and various other conditions of the patient concerne. I think your doctor has given these treatment for one week only to your mother and suspended it for the health resons and deficiancies mentioned by you. I also think he will decide further treatments one getting the present condition is treated. Please be in touch with him and have the treatments. Best wishes for early recovery of your mother -

Question: Does anyone know what kinds of cancers can be triggered by interferon therapy for hep-c? I am taking tx for hep-c. also have type 2 diabetes. feel like my kidneys are trying to shut down. Does anyone know what cancers can be triggered by the interferon?

Answer: Interferon does not cause cancer- it can exabhorate a pre-existing condition however. Hepatitis C can cause several types of cancer. Type 2 diabetes can be caused by HCV. Kidney disease can be caused by diabetes. If you are on ribavirin, that has the potential to cause kidney issues too. I would ask your gastointerologist.

Question: Dating someone with cancer...........? I've been sort of dating this guy who was diagnosed with kidney cancer. He had his kidney removed, then 1 year later they found some spots on his lungs. They treated him with interleukin therapy which seemed to halt the growth for now, but I think he is just waiting for the day when it starts growing again and they tell him there is nothing they can do. I met him 2 months ago. I just can't figure out exactly what he wants, it doesn't matter to me that he has cancer, but he is so hot and cold, i just don't know what to think. It just seems like he wants to party and drink his problems away. What can i say to him to make him feel better about the whole situation. Maybe we should just be friends?

Answer: The truth is he needs a friend, a steady logical, reasonable friend with rock solid common sense. Here's the deal - he cannot commit to a person as a lover because at this point he cannot even commit to life and be sure of his choice. He's faced death, and what he needs is someone who is his friend, and who can help him get away from the wild "nothing matters anyway" kind of lifestyle that's taken over his body and mind. There's a country song out there about "I want to live like I'm dying", where the guy does all kinds of stupid stuff - and yes, I consider climbing mountains and falling out of airplanes and other dangerous stuff stupid. If you could, as his best friend, help him back into seeing that the normal life, the one where you get up and thank your favorite deity for letting you have one more day - that's the life he needs, not dangerous stuff. You need to help him see the wonderfulness of just plain ordinary life. Depite the terrible things he's been through, he needs to be able to see the world through eyes that haven't been distorted with drinking or drugs Here's the other part of it, and you may not be able to do anything about this except point it out to him - he's angry. He's angry because his body has betrayed him. He's angry because all the plans he had for his life, even if they were only half formed plans, have been disrupted. He's furious because damn it, it wasn't suposed to happen this way and he's terrified that even if he tries to get back to normal, it will all come crashing down again when he goes to the doctors or has those damned blood tests. He has every right to be angry, I understand the anger, and you need to understand it too - but he has to get past that anger, gain some acceptance, and start each day happy that he has just one more period of life to enjoy and make his own. Good luck, it's hard, but it's worth it.

Question: carrying for chemo therapy patient? My mom is soon to begin a chemo therapy. I have a general idea how it is going to be, but not sure. She is in her seventies. She has mantle cell lymphoma which is incurable, as her dr. said, anyway, he recommended rchop, a very aggressive therapy, that will only help with growing cancer that is on her kidney. Nothing nice to hope for, as she is in her 4th stage.

Answer: My dad had CHOP-R for a different kind of Non-Hodgkin lymphoma. It is a very common regimen for Non-Hodgkin lymphoma. Side effects include nausea (however it is usually not severe when proper anti-emetic drugs are given), hair loss, and fatigue. Also, it can cause a bad taste in the mouth. There is some really good information on what to expect with CHOP here: http://www.lymphomainfo.net/therapy/chemotherapy/chop.html Since the oncologist is saying cure isn't possible, they are probably just trying to slow down the cancer or perhaps get her into remission. Stay in close contact with the oncologist -- you will want to balance her side effects against whatever good the treatment does to give her the best quality of life possible. Do note that the chemo tends to work FAST in lymphoma, especially fast growing lymphomas. I had a different kind (Hodgkin's Disease), but you could see visible shrinkage of the masses within a very short period of time. My dad also had very fast and visible shrinking of his mass too. Hopefully even if it cannot cure your mother, it can give her some good quality time. Good luck to you.

Question: phototherapy and cancer? My wife's friend is currently in the hospital being treated for cancer (it has spread to his spleen and kidneys). The other day, while visiting, his room was nearly dark...window blinds were shut, tv was off, and the lights were very low in his room. The hospital staff mentioned that he was a good candidate for phototherapy (I believe that's what they called it) for his type of cancer, but before he could start the therapy, he needs to stay where it is dark. Is anyone familiar with this type of therapy for cancer patients? Can anyone give me some information about it or where I can find information? Thanks!

Answer: The therapy that you are referring to is radiation therapy. "Photo" is simply the prefix for light, or any electromagnetic radiation. There are several different phototherapy modalities, so I will comment briefly on the one that I am currently studying in my graduate physics degree. This treatment modality focuses on high-energy light irradiation, such as X-rays. When radiation has such high energy, it is referred to as ionizing radiation. What this means is that the radiation has the potential to remove electrons from atoms. Thus, the ionizing radiation is aimed at the cancerous cells with the intent of removing the electrons from the constituent atoms of DNA within the cells. This effectively "breaks the bonds" of the DNA and triggers the cancerous cells into apoptosis (which is basically cell suicide). The hope is to kill the cancerous cells and spare the surrounding healthy tissue. The high metabolic activity of cancerous cells allows for easy identification of the tumors. All therapists do is inject a glucose representative such as FDG and the cancerous cells absorb the material and begin to emit positrons; these positrons are subsequently imaged by a PET (Positron Emission Tomography) detector and indicates the location of the cancerous cells.

Question: renal cell cancer that has spread to other side of body into arm bone? My beloved brother (whom I was caring for ) was only 58 when he died of liver failure 2 mths ago. Now and at the same nursing home my Mother is taking therapy for her arm that just broke for no reason. They did a CAT scan and said they found cancer of the kidney (clear cell carcinoma) that had spread to the bone in arm. They called it mesatise (I think) They have told me there is no treatments they can do because of her age (84) but she sure doesn't look like it or act like it before) and the fact that becasue it had already spread to the bone it was probably all over the body. I am there everyday no matter what just like I was with my brother. The past few days she has been seeing things , getting really nervous, does'nt know how to dial a phone no. (she was also diagnosised with mild demetia 4 yrs ago) she is getting to the point of not being able to even feed herself. I feel so useless and my question is how fast does this type travel, could it be in brain. why call in hospice now?

Answer: We call in hospice when we think the prognosis is for a survival of less than six months. This sounds like an appropriate situation for hospice - except she is already in a nursing facility - - hospice is particularly helpful in home care situations. Her age is not the main reason that no specific treatment such as chemotherapy is being recommended. Our intravenous treatments for renal cell carcinoma metastatic to distant sites such as bone and brain are very poor. There would be no chance of cure of she were 34 instead of 84 with today's treatments for this particular type of cancer. Comfort is the number one concern in this situation. If this were my mother (who is almost 80 herself), I would want her to have good nursing care with symptom management - especially expert pain control. There is a medical art to correct pain control. This is where hospice nurses have extremely useful experience, but they need to be directed by a physician experienced with comfort management for end stage diseases such as this. The average survival of "13 months" quoted in a previous answer is probably not an accurate estimate in your mother's case as you present it - especially if it turns out that she does have metastases to her brain as well as bone mets. Sorry I can't give you more cheerful information. I think you will need to be prepared for a progressive downhill course in a matter of a few months.

Question: Hi, my Aunt who is in mid 50's has a growth about 14cm that malignant and very close to kidney any help? Hi, My Dad passed this information on to me and is not very good with details so I just want to research my Aunt's condition so I have a better understanding of what is happening to her. The details I know is that the growth has caused cancer to one kidney which she will have to have removed, the growth is malignant, it has doubled in size over a six month period and is growing rapidly. It is 14cm and doctors wish to treat her with radiation so as not to do damage to other organs by using chemotherapy. They wish to treat her with radiation therapy in order to shrink the growth so that they can remove it aswell as her kidney. Does anyone know what condition this is called? or can anyone name a few types of cancer that match this description if my details are not enough for any specific form of suggestive diagnosis? I dont know if this is a factor however my Aunt's Mum died of mialoma? type of leukemia and my Aunt's Dad died from a rapid growing tennis ball size tumour on his brain?

Answer: When a growth is discovered either through patient complaint and discovery; or, by lab results reporting biological elements measuring out-of-normal ranges. They may be identified by various types of scans; the MRI, the CT scan; the PET scan and Ultra Sound. Location and type of cell growth bring about its identity and then scaling the growth of the monitored tumor. Whether the tumor is malignant and its cells are advancing to other parts of the body - metastasizing. The issues that may be regarding your Aunt's blood work-up. If her blood is showing chemical stability. Previous or current medical condition; are all things taken into consideration as to diagnosis and subsequent treatment options. 14cm = 5 1/2 inches; pretty good size. Further testing and analysis will give rise to its nature. They may take a biopsy of the tumor to test it with various chemicals and, possibly grafts - of sorts. This is to see what the tissue reacts to, its growth pattern and changes, etc. It sounds like your Aunt has: T3a,Tumor has spread into the adrenal gland (which sits on top of the kidney) or into fatty tissue around the kidney, but not beyond the fibrous layer that surrounds the kidney and nearby fatty tissue (Gerota's fascia). NX: Regional (nearby) lymph nodes cannot be assessed (information not available). MX: Presence of distant metastasis cannot be assessed (information not available). Stage III "Predictors of Shorter Survival Researchers have identified certain factors that have been linked with shorter survival times in people with kidney cancer: * high blood lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) level * high blood calcium level * anemia (low red blood cell count) * cancer spread to 2 or more distant sites * time of less than a year from diagnosis to the need for systemic treatment (targeted therapy, immunotherapy, or chemotherapy) * low performance status (a measure of how well a person can do normal daily activities) People with 3 or more of these factors are considered to have a poorer prognosis (outlook) and may be more or less likely to benefit from certain treatments." Hope the links below are helpful as you begin your journey. Best wishes to you all.

Question: Is cancer really a virus? I want to put out a theory to the public that is purely a thought process: is cancer a virus? I've been reading about HIV and some of the hypothesis relate back to the polio vaccine in which the vaccine was cultured on monkey kidneys which were infected with a monkey virus. The hypothesis is that hiv was another species' virus originally that basically jumped the chain to people which started to spread through polio innoculations however, it did not affect everyone that was innoculated. HIV was first know as the 'gay cancer', but it is really a virus. It was further spread through blood transfusions, etc as there was no screening for this virus so did the medication that people were taking further change the hiv virus.....(the do bugs need drugs program.........) I've also read that some hormone therapy programs cause cancer cells to split and grow much faster so is it possible that smoking doesn't cause cancer, but it is in reality a virus attacking an area that is polluted with chemicals that cause the cancer cells to grow rapidly? Just something to think about..........

Answer: no. cancer it a result of mutated cells or improperly formed cells. Cancer can not be "caught" or "transmitted" like viruses can. Viruses are infectious agents that are unable to grow or reproduce outside a host cell... Cancer IS a cell.. or a mass of cells...

Question: how long does it take to die from a gastrointestinal bleed? my sister's (age 59) death certificate says that she died from a gastrointestinal bleed as the immediate cause and then says due to coumadin toxicity. they say there was blood all over the apartment. my question is how long does it take to die this way and wouldn't she have been able to dial 911 if she was able to walk around? she did take coumadin but wouldn't there have to be an autopsy to have them put coumadin toxicity on the death certificate as the cause for the bleed out? it says no autopsy was performed. accidental was checked on the death certificate where her son said it was a natural death. she was a huge hypochondriac as well as a closet drinker. my first thoughts were that she did something to cause this knowing that the home health nurse was coming and would find her in time to get help...she always had medical drama and would come down with every disease out there...she claims to have had MRSA and that was the reason for the home health nurse but she claims to have had cancer, needed stem cell therapy, kidney removed, SARS, strokes, brain tumor saying to some it was melinoma and others it was benign and so many more things to list. and each time someone would go to her house and she would be there just fine and not in the hospital where she claimed she was. I really believe she was mentally ill...she was this way all of her life making up things and telling senseless lies...sure would appreciate some input on this...thanks

Answer: My hypothesis: If she was a closet drinker, then she might of had esophageal varices which are extremely dilated sub-mucosal veins in the lower esophagus. They are most often a consequence of portal hypertension, commonly due to cirrhosis; patients with esophageal varices have a strong tendency to develop bleeding. This is common with chronic alcoholics. On top of this, if she was taking coumadin, she would lack the ability / decrease the ability to stop a bleed by clotting. That being said she would of lost a lot of blood in a short time, from the description of the room. As a former paramedic, I have seen this twice just as you decribe the room. The patients were on coumadin and had varcies. Sorry for you loss.

Question: Treatment for two cancers? My wife was diagnosis with stage IV kidney cancer in Oct.2003.She is currently on a targeted therapy called sutent.We just found out that she may now have overian cancer.She is having a biopsy in two days.From what I have read,they will do surgery followed up by chemo.My question is can she have chemo for overian cancer and sutent for the kidney cancer at the same time.

Answer: Perhaps you can get your answer on this discussion site http://www.medhelp.org/posts/show/197925

Question: Can a CT scan for stomach detect stomach cancer if any? I have been diagnosed with H.Pylori positive 3 months back and took triple therapy, from last 3 days i have stomach ache and irregular bowel systems. Also i had indigestion and heartburn. I was sent for ultra sound scan in which liver, kidney and prostate was normal (how accurate is this ultra sound ). It said may be acute appendicitis.... If i have appendicitis will it cause severe pain or its not necessary. Can a CT scan ordered to check for clear appendicitis detect stomach cancer if present??/ Thank you.

Answer: No, not really. Endoscopy would be better (where they thread a thin camera down your esophagus and into your stomach, also called an EGD for esophagogastroduodenoscopy). If a stomach cancer were really advanced a CT scan might detect it, but this is not your situation. Blessings