Treatment FAQ

i had my left kidney removed due to cancer what is the usual follow-up or treatment

by Mr. Kennedi Gleichner DDS Published 2 years ago Updated 2 years ago

You’ll likely be scheduled for a follow-up appointment in 2-4 weeks. At that time, your surgeon will advise when you can return to work and resume other activities. Because physical activity can boost your circulation and decrease the risk of blood clots, you will be encouraged to exercise throughout your recovery from kidney cancer surgery.

After surgery for early or locally advanced kidney cancer, you usually have your first follow up appointment 4 to 6 weeks after you leave hospital. This is to make sure you're recovering well from your operation. You then have regular follow up appointments for several years after treatment.

Full Answer

Should I have my kidney removed for kidney cancer?

Removing the kidney containing the cancer can help some people live longer, so a doctor may suggest surgery even if the cancer has spread beyond the kidney. Kidney removal can also be used to ease symptoms such as pain and bleeding. Depending on the stage and location of the cancer and other factors,...

What is follow up after kidney cancer treatment?

This is called follow up. You usually have follow up appointments for a few years. This is so any cancer can be found and treated early. After surgery for early or locally advanced kidney cancer, you usually have your first follow up appointment 4 to 6 weeks after you leave hospital. This is to make sure you’re recovering well from your operation.

What happens at the end of kidney cancer treatment?

The end of treatment can be both stressful and exciting. You may be relieved to finish treatment, but yet it’s hard not to worry about cancer coming back. This is very common if you’ve had cancer. For other people, the kidney cancer might never go away completely.

What are the chances of kidney cancer coming back after surgery?

After surgery for early kidney cancer, the more time that passes with no sign of it, the smaller the risk is of the cancer ever coming back. But there is still a small risk, even after 10 years. Your doctor will talk to you about the follow up for your particular situation. Low risk of cancer coming back.

How to cure kidney cancer?

What is the procedure to remove the kidney?

What is partial nephrectomy?

What is the most common site of cancer in kidneys?

Why do they remove lymph nodes?

What is the instrument used to remove kidneys?

What are the risks of surgery?

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What happens after kidney cancer removal?

Your Recovery Your belly will feel sore after the surgery. This usually lasts about 1 to 2 weeks. Your doctor will give you pain medicine for this. You may also have other symptoms such as nausea, diarrhea, constipation, gas, or a headache.

What type of follow up is necessary after treatment for renal cell carcinoma?

In people with early-stage cancer, many doctors recommend follow-up visits (which may include imaging tests and blood tests) with a physical exam every 12 months for the first couple of years after treatment.

Does kidney cancer come back after surgery?

For some people, kidney cancer does come back after treatment, which is known as a recurrence. It is important to have regular check-ups, so that if cancer does come back, it can be found early. If the cancer recurs in the kidney (after a partial nephrectomy), you may be offered more surgery.

How long does it take to recover from kidney cancer surgery?

With traditional surgery, four or five days of hospitalization are usually needed after kidney removal, plus six to eight weeks for recovery. Patients of open surgery typically require heavy pain medication over extended time, too.

What is a renal follow up?

After treatment, you have regular check ups to look for signs of the cancer coming back or spreading. This is called follow up. You usually have follow up appointments for a few years. This is so any cancer can be found and treated early.

How long can you live after nephrectomy?

The predicted survival improvement for patients treated with partial nephrectomy was 5.6 (95% CI, 1.9-9.3), 11.8 (95% CI, 3.9-19.7), and 15.5 (95% CI, 5.0-26.0) percentage points at 2, 5, and 8 years following surgery, respectively.

What are the odds of kidney cancer coming back?

The aggressive and often insidious nature of renal cell carcinoma (RCC) is reflected by recurrence rates of 20% to 40% after nephrectomy for clinically localized disease.

How do you live with one kidney after cancer?

One kidney is enough to filter your blood to keep it clean and healthy. If you have one kidney removed, as long as your other one works normally there should be no ill effects. Your GP should monitor your blood pressure regularly (about 4 times a year). This is to make sure that the remaining kidney stays healthy.

Can kidney cancer spread after removal?

Removal of metastases In about 1 in 3 people with kidney cancer, the cancer will already have spread (metastasized) to other parts of the body when it is diagnosed. The lungs, lymph nodes, bones, and liver are the most common sites of spread. For some people, surgery may still be helpful.

What is the recovery time after having a kidney removed?

Recovering from kidney removal most often takes around 3 to 6 weeks. You may have some of these symptoms: Pain in your belly or on the side where you had the kidney removed. The pain should get better over several days to a week.

What happens when one kidney is removed?

What will happen if one kidney is removed from the body of a human being? Nothing happens and the person will survive and remain normal. The remaining kidney will become hypertrophied.

How much water should I drink a day with one kidney?

Drink plenty of fluids Water helps clear sodium and toxins from your kidneys. It also lowers your risk of chronic kidney disease. Aim for at least 1.5 to 2 liters in a day.

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What to expect after surgery for kidney cancer

After surgery, you will usually be in hospital for 2–7 days. Once you are home, you will need to take some precautions while you recover. Your recovery time will depend on your age, general health and the type of surgery that you had.

Pain after 2 months partial kidney removal | Cancer Chat

Hi, i also had a partial nephrectomy on 5th November 2018 due to a bosniak 3 cancerous tumour on my left kidney. After the surgery i was as sore as i expected to be, but after those first few weeks i started to feel much better and at first i seemed to have 'healed', however i now get pain, regularly.

Kidney removal does not prolong the lives of elderly patients with ...

A new study indicates that patients aged 75 years or older who have confined kidney tumors do not live longer if they have their entire kidney removed.

How to cure kidney cancer?

Surgery for Kidney Cancer. Surgery is the main treatment for most kidney cancers and many times it can cure the cancer by itself. Depending on the stage and location of the cancer and other factors, surgery might be done to remove the entire kidney including the tumor (known as a radical nephrectomy) or the cancer alone along with some ...

What is the procedure to remove the kidney?

Radical nephrectomy. In this operation, the surgeon removes your whole kidney, the attached adrenal gland, nearby lymph nodes, and the fatty tissue around the kidney. Most people do just fine with only one working kidney. The surgeon can make the incision in several places.

What is partial nephrectomy?

Partial nephrectomy (nephron-sparing surgery) In a partial nephrectomy, the surgeon removes only the part of the kidney that contains cancer, leaving the rest of the kidney behind. As with a radical nephrectomy, the surgeon can make the incision in several places, depending on factors like the location of the tumor.

What is the most common site of cancer in kidneys?

In about 1 in 3 people with kidney cancer, the cancer will already have spread (metastasized) to other parts of the body when it is diagnosed. The lungs, lymph nodes, bones, and liver are the most common sites of spread. For some people, surgery may still be helpful.

Why do they remove lymph nodes?

This procedure removes nearby lymph nodes to see if they contain cancer. Some doctors do this when doing a radical nephrectomy. More lymph nodes may be removed if the tumor has features suggesting it is at high risk of spreading.

What is the instrument used to remove kidneys?

One of the instruments, the laparoscope, is a long tube with a small video camera on the end. This lets the surgeon see inside the abdomen. Usually, one of the incisions has to be made longer in order to remove the kidney (although it’s not as long as the incision for a standard radical nephrectomy).

What are the risks of surgery?

The short-term risks of any type of surgery include reactions to anesthesia, too much bleeding (which might require blood transfusions), blood clots, and infections. Most people will have at least some pain after the operation, which can usually be helped with pain medicines, if needed.

What cancers should a kidney survivor follow?

Survivors of kidney cancer should also follow the American Cancer Society Guidelines for the Early Detection of Cancer, such as those for breast, cervical, colorectal, and prostate cancer.

What are the risks of kidney cancer?

Unfortunately, being treated for kidney cancer doesn’t mean you can’t get another cancer. People who have had cancer can still get the same types of cancers that other people get. In fact, they might be at a higher risk of certain types of cancer including: 1 A second kidney cancer (this is different from the first cancer coming back). The risk of a second kidney cancer is highest in patients who were diagnosed before age 50. 2 Bladder cancer 3 Cancer of the ureter (the tube that connects the kidney to the bladder) 4 Prostate cancer 5 Thyroid cancer 6 Melanoma of the skin

What to do if cancer returns?

If the cancer does return at some point, your treatment options will depend on where the cancer is, what treatments you’ve had before, and your health. Surgery, radiation therapy, chemotherapy, targeted therapy, immunotherapy, or some combination of these might be options.

What is it called when cancer comes back after treatment?

Cancer that comes back after treatment is called a recurrence. But some cancer survivors may develop a new, unrelated cancer later. This is called a second cancer.

Why is it important to talk to your doctor about cancer?

It’s very important to let your doctor know about any new symptoms or problems, because they could be caused by the cancer coming back or by a new disease or a second cancer.

How often should I see a doctor for cancer?

In people with early-stage cancer, many doctors recommend follow-up visits (which may include imaging tests and blood tests) with a physical exam every 12 months for the first couple of years after treatment. For people who were treated for later stage cancers, follow-up visits with imaging and lab tests most likely will be every 3-6 months for ...

Does kidney cancer go away?

For other people, the kidney cancer might never go away completely. Some people may get regular treatment with chemotherapy or targeted therapy or other treatments to try and help keep the cancer in check. Learning to live with cancer that does not go away can be difficult and very stressful.

How often do you have to have a follow up appointment after kidney cancer?

You might have follow up appointments and scans about every 3 to 6 months after having a small kidney cancer treated by cryotherapy or radiofrequency ablation.

How long after kidney surgery can you have a follow up appointment?

You then have regular follow up appointments for several years after treatment. After surgery for early kidney cancer, the more time that passes with no sign of it, the smaller the risk is of the cancer ever coming back. But there is still a small risk, even after 10 years. Your doctor will talk to you about the follow up for your particular ...

How long do you have to follow up on cancer?

This is called follow up. You usually have follow up appointments for a few years. This is so any cancer can be found and treated early.

How long after kidney surgery do you have to go to the hospital?

After surgery for early or locally advanced kidney cancer, you usually have your first follow up appointment 4 to 6 weeks after you leave hospital. This is to make sure you’re recovering well from your operation.

What is the risk of cancer coming back?

The risk of the cancer coming back depends on many factors including: how big the cancer is . changes in the tumour cells (called sarcomatoid dedifferentiation) whether there are cancer cells at the edge of the tissue removed by surgery (called a positive margin) raised levels of some chemicals in the blood.

How to recover from kidney cancer surgery?

Because physical activity can boost your circulation and decrease the risk of blood clots, you will be encouraged to exercise throughout your recovery from kidney cancer surgery. Soon afterward, a member of the care team will help you get out of bed and begin some light walking.

What is kidney surgery?

In general, kidney cancer surgery involves removal of the affected kidney or a partial nephrectomy to remove the tumor only. A partial nephrectomy can be performed using a traditional, open approach or a minimally invasive approach with use of a robotic platform.

How long does it take to recover from a tumor?

Patients with larger or more advanced tumors may expect to stay in the hospital around 2-4 days. You’ll likely be scheduled for a follow-up appointment in 2-4 weeks.

How long does it take to eat after a syringe surgery?

Typically, you will resume eating solid food within 24-48hrs after surgery, which is important because good nutrition can help your body heal.

What is the procedure to remove a tumor from the kidney?

Often a urologic surgeon performs nephrectomy to remove a cancerous tumor or abnormal tissue growth in a kidney. The most common kidney cancer in adults, renal cell carcinoma, begins in the cells that line the small tubes within your kidneys.

How to maintain kidney function after nephrectomy?

To preserve normal kidney function, your doctor may recommend that you eat a healthy diet, engage in daily physical activity and attend regular checkups to monitor your kidney health.

How does a urologic surgeon perform a nephrectomy?

The urologic surgeon may perform a nephrectomy through a single incision in the abdomen or side (open nephrectomy) or through a series of small incisions in the abdomen using a camera and small instruments (laparoscopic nephrectomy ). In some cases, these laparoscopic procedures are performed using a robotic system.

Why do they do nephrectomy?

Why it's done. The most common reason a urologic surgeon performs a nephrectomy is to remove a tumor from the kidney. These tumors are usually cancerous, but they can be noncancerous (benign). Sometimes a nephrectomy is needed because of other kidney diseases.

What is partial nephrectomy?

Partial nephrectomy is also called kidney-sparing surgery. Nephrectomy (nuh-FREK-tuh-me) is a surgical procedure to remove all or part of a kidney: Radical (complete) nephrectomy. During a radical nephrectomy, the urologic surgeon removes the entire kidney and often some additional structures, such as part of the tube that connects ...

What is the procedure called when a surgeon cuts your abdomen?

In an open nephrectomy, the urologic surgeon makes a cut (incision) along your side or on your abdomen. This open approach allows surgeons to perform some surgeries that still can't be performed safely with less invasive approaches. Radical nephrectomy.

What is the urologic surgeon's decision?

The urologic surgeon makes a decision based on the results of imaging tests, which may include: Computerized tomography (CT), a specialized X-ray technology that produces images of thin cross-sectional views of soft tissues.

after kidney removal the problems

i had a cancerous tumour and my left kidney removed 2 months ago, i thought i was recovering quite well until last week when i started with severe back pain down left side mainly, since then the pain is still there and my doctor thought it was muscle spasms but now , for the last 4 days i cannot control my urine had accidents twice in the night with no warning then today i stood up and it happened again, and still in pain please advise me what you think x my name is jean i am 53 year old x.

after kidney removal the problems

Welcome to the forum and I'm sorry about the delay in responding to your post.

after kidney removal the problems

I had my right kidney & left Adrenal gland removed 2 1/2 years ago but 6 months after my operation I kept wetting myself not being able to stop it at all, I went to my gp several times , with no help my Bach cage got worse so I spoke to my surgeon and he advised some test, eventually I had a small operation to hold my bladder wall up since then I have not wet myself so good luck with yours.

What to do if kidneys are reduced after nephrectomy?

In case you develop reduced function of kidney due to chronic kidney disease after partial or complete nephrectomy, your physician may advise additional changes in lifestyle such as changes in diet and taking care about over-the-counter and prescription medicines.

How long does it take to recover from kidney surgery?

Recovery time for kidney removal is about three to six weeks. Initially, you may feel low in energy and it may require up to three to six months for you to feel fully energetic again. Your physician will provide you detailed instructions regarding your post-surgical activities, diet and restrictions.

What to eat before kidney surgery?

In case you have stomach upset, eat low-fat, bland foods such as broiled chicken, plain rice, yogurt and toast.

How to avoid constipation after surgery?

Drink lots of fluids/water (unless your physician has advised against it). It is common to develop constipation after surgery. You can take a fiber supplement to avoid constipation and straining. You can also ask your physician about consuming a laxative (mild).

What is a nephrectomy?

Nephrectomy is a surgery to remove a part of or the entire kidney. Majority of the times it is done to remove a benign tumor or treat cancer of kidney. In certain cases, it is done to treat a seriously damaged or diseased kidney. In case of donor nephrectomy, a healthy kidney is removed from a donor to be transplanted into the recipient.

How long does a urinary catheter stay in the hospital?

The urinary catheter stays inside for a short duration during the recovery period.

Can you stop taking antibiotics?

If you have been prescribed antibiotics by your physician, take them according to the directions. Don’t stop them as you start feeling better. You are required to consume the entire course of antibiotics prescribed.

How to cure kidney cancer?

Surgery for Kidney Cancer. Surgery is the main treatment for most kidney cancers and many times it can cure the cancer by itself. Depending on the stage and location of the cancer and other factors, surgery might be done to remove the entire kidney including the tumor (known as a radical nephrectomy) or the cancer alone along with some ...

What is the procedure to remove the kidney?

Radical nephrectomy. In this operation, the surgeon removes your whole kidney, the attached adrenal gland, nearby lymph nodes, and the fatty tissue around the kidney. Most people do just fine with only one working kidney. The surgeon can make the incision in several places.

What is partial nephrectomy?

Partial nephrectomy (nephron-sparing surgery) In a partial nephrectomy, the surgeon removes only the part of the kidney that contains cancer, leaving the rest of the kidney behind. As with a radical nephrectomy, the surgeon can make the incision in several places, depending on factors like the location of the tumor.

What is the most common site of cancer in kidneys?

In about 1 in 3 people with kidney cancer, the cancer will already have spread (metastasized) to other parts of the body when it is diagnosed. The lungs, lymph nodes, bones, and liver are the most common sites of spread. For some people, surgery may still be helpful.

Why do they remove lymph nodes?

This procedure removes nearby lymph nodes to see if they contain cancer. Some doctors do this when doing a radical nephrectomy. More lymph nodes may be removed if the tumor has features suggesting it is at high risk of spreading.

What is the instrument used to remove kidneys?

One of the instruments, the laparoscope, is a long tube with a small video camera on the end. This lets the surgeon see inside the abdomen. Usually, one of the incisions has to be made longer in order to remove the kidney (although it’s not as long as the incision for a standard radical nephrectomy).

What are the risks of surgery?

The short-term risks of any type of surgery include reactions to anesthesia, too much bleeding (which might require blood transfusions), blood clots, and infections. Most people will have at least some pain after the operation, which can usually be helped with pain medicines, if needed.

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