Any Hope At All?

My husband, Tony was diagnosed in April of 2004 with kidney cancer.  He had his kidney removed.  The tumor was totally confined to the inside of the kidney and it did not penitrate the inside of the kidney wall.  Because of this, they decided not to do any treatment of any sort at that time.  We went for two years and in July 2006 he had to have his right upper lobe of his lung removed because the cancer metastized to his lung.  It was at that time that they decided that he would need to go on sutent for treatment.  We took it for six months minus the last two weeks because the medication was making him so sick and weak.  He would get diarreah, sick to his stomach, food did not taste good (it tasted like metal), and he became dehydrated on two occasions.  Well, now we have found out that he has three spots on one lung and one spot on another lung.  We won't know anything definitively until the results of his PET SCAN are back.  We'll get those back next week some time.  I hope that this is all a big mistake and maybe he has some type of pneumonia or something like that.  I just wanted to know if there is any hope at all for anybody with all these problems?  I hate to lose my husband.  He is everything to me.  I don't know what to do without him in my life.  Any encouraging words or information would be helpful.  Thank you for your time.

From his loving caregiver,

His Wife 

I am so sorry to hear about your husband, Tony. I knkow what you feel like. My husband, Norm, was also on Sutent for 7 months. The drug did the same thing as it did for Tony, plus it did not work for my husband. Norm has mets in his lungs, liver and bones. There is a new drug, torisel which just came out on the market, May 30, 2007. My husband just started the treatment Oct. 22th. This is our last resort. Please ask your doctor about the drug. M.D. Anderson Cancer Hospital recommended it for my husband. We will keep you and Tony in our prayers. Don't give up hope, remember there are no white flags! Marleen

I have a friend who had a kidney removed in 2004 as well and took no further treatment by choice. She now has a spot where the kidney had been which they are presuming is cancer and also a tumor in her head which was discovered when she began having some vision problems in her left eye. She has begun alternative treatments, diet, supplements, Intravenous Vitamin C, etc. and has been very encouraged by the information in the following website. _______________________________________________________________ http://www.medpagetoday.com/HematologyOncology/OtherCancers/ _______________________________________________________________ I personally use this treatment and many patients at the the clinic I go to are having excellent results with their various cancers using this as well. Best regards Shemay _______________________________________________________________

On 11/7/2007 Tonyv wrote:

My husband, Tony was diagnosed in April of 2004 with kidney cancer.  He had his kidney removed.  The tumor was totally confined to the inside of the kidney and it did not penitrate the inside of the kidney wall.  Because of this, they decided not to do any treatment of any sort at that time.  We went for two years and in July 2006 he had to have his right upper lobe of his lung removed because the cancer metastized to his lung.  It was at that time that they decided that he would need to go on sutent for treatment.  We took it for six months minus the last two weeks because the medication was making him so sick and weak.  He would get diarreah, sick to his stomach, food did not taste good (it tasted like metal), and he became dehydrated on two occasions.  Well, now we have found out that he has three spots on one lung and one spot on another lung.  We won't know anything definitively until the results of his PET SCAN are back.  We'll get those back next week some time.  I hope that this is all a big mistake and maybe he has some type of pneumonia or something like that.  I just wanted to know if there is any hope at all for anybody with all these problems?  I hate to lose my husband.  He is everything to me.  I don't know what to do without him in my life.  Any encouraging words or information would be helpful.  Thank you for your time.

From his loving caregiver,

His Wife 

Yes there is hope. You may want to talk to your doctor about torisel. There are also some promising drugs in clinical trials. Keep the faith and don't give up. Enjoy these times with your husband. I stood by my life partner through lung cancer, and although he lost the battle we became closer than ever.

Richard

You may also want to look into the cyber knife (a radiation treatment). My dad had the gamma knife (another type of radiation treatment) on two lesions in his brain as well as radiofrequency ablation (also radiation) on his liver and these tumors are gone. I think that they could use the cyber knife on the lungs.

Go to http://cancerguide.org/kofaq/ for more information about an email support list specifric to kidney cancer patients. Yes, there is hope. He should be treated by a doctor experienced in treating metastatic kidney cancer. The Kidney Cancer Association (800-850-9132) will help you find one near you (although the KCAs list does not have some very good docs (maybe yours) on it).

I am so sorry to hear of your husband's kidney cancer. I read this site to find hope, but there seems to be little.
I have stage 4 metastatic RCC to the bones. I just had my first anniversary of my diagnosis. Although I am new to the cancer experience, I think a positive mental state is crucial! There are other things that I am doing, such as a healthy diet, rich in protein, prayer, exercise, organic fruit, and mangosteen fruit juice, for the anti-oxidents which I hope will attach to the free radicals, to help my body be stronger to fight the cancer.
I was on Avastin and Aredia, but I had to go off of all drugs because I developed Diverticulitis. You might want to find out your cancer "markers" which tell your oncologist which genes you are lacking for fighting off the cancer.
My two markers are VEG-F 3+, and EGF-R 3+. The Avastin is used for colon cancer, (marker VEG-F) and in phase 2 clinical trial for Renal Cancer.
I hope this helps, it is always worth a try to find out what you can, and be active in your research and treatment options.
Take care, and good luck.
Sandy

Hello my name is Debra and Please do not give up HOPE is all we have.  My mom Lorraine age 64 was diagnosed with kidney cancer in Mar of 06, her kidney was removed in April of 06.  Just to return in her hiliar lymph nodes and right lung in Sept of 06.  Doctors told us it was inoperable, but we were not taking that for an answer, so down we went to Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center in N.Y.  With some more testing and Sutent we were on our way to getting this things to shrink, or we thought. She felt sick constantly and could hardly get out of bed only for her trips to the city (we live over an hour away).  She was in the hospital for months because she needed a broncoscopy because the toumor in the lung was blocking her airway and than she got punomia.  This was all in April of 07, we had to stop Sutent because she was on steroids to help her breath.  In June of 07 we thought she only had a few months left because the cancer spread to her back and a spot on her spine..We were almost forces to put her on a feeding tube.  We started radiation to help her feel more comfortable.  Then the doctors at Sloan told us about a new kidney trial called RD001, we had nothing too lose.  She started July RAD001 along with a half of Zanax has turned her life around.  Her first scan showed a 20% shrinkage on all of her mets.  She looks and feels better than she ever did.  The drug is working.....It is a blind trial but the doctor said she is most definately getting the mediation even though they don't know for sure.   She has had 4 scans since then and everytime they shrink a little more.  It is our little miracle...We know that at any time it can stop working just like Sutent but we try to live in the now instead of wondering when it will stop working.   Please keep me posted on your husbands progress.....You are in my prayers    Debra