Hello!
When tumors are found early, there are no symptoms. Most are found while looking for something else.
My husband had a radical nephrectomy, but got along really well. He was weak for the first month...so some assistance would probably be very beneficial.
I wish you all the best with the surgery. So glad that your prognosis is excellent.
Hugs,
Ingrid

Hello, You have found the right place here for support and information from very caring and wonderful people.Kidney tumours generally don't have any symptoms and, as Ingrid says are usually found with a completely unrelated scan.
Do feel free to ask any questions here.
Good luck with your surgery. Please let us know how it goes.

No spread is a great thing and could prove to be a cure for you. Good luck.

I thank you all for your support. I know you all know what it means to someone to have your support. Probably like others, this came out of the blue and has been pretty shocking. Thank you so much. :)
Dana

You are in the best of situations for having renal cancer. The tumor is small and it has not spread-so after removal of your kidney you should be good to go. Please write and keep us all posted and you will be fine. Sincerely-Marilyn

Hello! I had the the same thing happen to me back in September. I had an MRI done on my uterus and they discovered the tumor on my left kidney. I had no symptoms what so ever and I truely believe that there was a higher power at work in my situation and yours because if you hadn't have had that CT scan who knows when they would have found it. By that time, it might have had time to spread. I had a radical nephrectomy in October 2011. My recovery was pretty good and when all was said and done, I was off work for 5 weeks. You will need help for the first couple of weeks getting up and down, I found sleeping with a body pillow really helped. My husband didn't like that it took up extra space in the bed but whatever! LOL Just remember to get lots of rest and don't over do it. You'll get through this and be able to move on with your life. Be strong and know that you have the support of everyone here.

it seems all the responses were from the ladies so I will put my male three cents in:
I had a bad backache and an MRI pointed to a 12 cm tumor which was a complete surprise.

after surgery and your declared status is No Evidence of Disease
(NED), your doc will probably order periodic CT scans. also, someone should be checking kidney function in your remaining kidney. these tests are called BUN, GFR and for your creatinine level.
Google the terms to understand what they represent and to get an indication what results are considered acceptable.
you probably should have an oncologist and a urologist (or a nephrologist) on your team. when you are NED, it is not crucial that the onc be an RCC specialist but it helps if they are at least aware of the uniqueness of this type of cancer. we are in a "special" class when it comes to tracking RCC
good luck & be well, Rich

I have just found out from a ultrasound i have a 4.5cm cyst on my lower Kidney pole. around the same time i did a urine test, which showed blood. I have been asked to do a second urine test immediately. Over the last month my health has dramatically decreased, mushle pains, pain in my pelvic area and back. I also have days where i hardly urinate or days i do all the time. I am very fatigued and vauge. Should I be worried? The pain comes and goes, Thanks :

Jessy5,
Hello! I must confess that I will not be able to help you with your medical question. I just wanted to give you my support and prayers, and tell you this site has been very helpful for me. I'm sure there will be someone to share their knowledge with you.
Big blessings from Texas,
Dana

thank you. keeps playing on my mind. i see on the net that most people with cysts bigger then 3 cm have some kind of surgery.is this the case? Trying not to worry. not sure if i should tell someone at work what is going on.

Just wanted to say hello and you've found a place where people care and share good info and lots of encouraging words to stay positive. I was diagnosed right after the first of the year, although I knew about the mass on my right kidney in Nov. I put the CT biopsy off and when I went to MD Anderson for the first time, it hit like a ton of rocks. Since then, mentally, I am soooo much better. No symptoms in my case, other than back pain, which I thought was due to trying to jog again after 10 years of being a couch potatoe. Long story short, my mass is 10 x 10 x 11. I started a non-FDA (at the time) drug called Axitinib, which was FDA approved a couple of weeks ago. Im the 14th to try this prior to surgery scheduled for Good Friday (04/06/12) where I am to have a radical nephrectomy. It has not metastasized. Ive totally changed my diet..I eat veggies and all berries; strawberries, rasberries, black berries, blue berries; bananas and a lot of milk. I take fish oil, multi-vitamin, and chewable vitamin C. I walk 3-5 miles 5 days out of the week and take the stairs at work. Does this help? I believe so. I refuse to let this bring me down or get my mind to think that I can't funtion normally. I can, and I will do better than ever before...even if I get indigestion or have a headache. Keep positive and don't let your mind play tricks on you. This life changing experience has taught me so much already...especially how much I need God in my life and I get my strength from Him. Keep the faith...always...always fight...never give up! God bless you! :)
Julia