Adjuvant treatment— decision pending
Hi, there. I (45F) am two weeks post-radical nephrectomy. 4.7 cm mass on right kidney. ccRcc, pT3a, Grade 2. No rhabdoid or sarcomatoid appearance or necrosis. No evidence of lymph node involvement. Segmental branch of renal vein involvement and tumor pushing up within 1 mm of perenephric fat, but still encapsulated. Because of the 3a, I am being recommended to an oncologist to discuss adjuvant treatment, which frankly scares the shit out of me. I’ve read about livers shutting down, endocrine systems crashing, flesh coming off in strings inside people’s mouths, people having to sleep 20 hours a day. So now I’m up at night thinking and reading and spiraling. Here’s my pickle: Do I go for the (likely Keytruda) in the face of these possibilities or do I roll the dice and start therapy later if anything pops up? Also, my first scans are scheduled for September. CT abdomen, chest x-ray. Common? I figured they’d hit the whole area with the one CT. No mention of bone scans or brain MRI. I’m at Emory with NCI cancer specialists, so I know they know what they’re doing, but this imaging seems scanty. Just looking for people to share their thoughts and maybe some reassurance. I’m feeling pretty anxious about everything right now. Thank you all.
Posted Jun 13, 2025, 4:02 AM UTC