Mike fishing on the Metolius River near Sisters, OR. Doesn\'t he look happy :)

Thanks for stopping by - we so appreciate you joining us on this journey!!!

Mike and Chris

Background. . . just a few days after Christmas 2011 there was blood in Mike\'s urine, lot\'s of it. He made an appt. with his PCP and the first guess was that it might be kidney stones. They did a CT scan and we got the report the next Monday. Nope, his doctor was sorry to say that there was some kind of tumor in his left kidney.

Next an appt. was set up was with a Urologist in Corvallis. He examined Mike then showed us the CT scan image, explaining that it might be cancer and that he was referring Mike up to OHSU in Portland.

Next Mike saw Dr. Theresa Koppie on January 24th, 2012 she’s an OHSU specialist in Urology, Cancer and Blood Disorders. On January 30th, 2012 Mike was admitted to OHSU Hospital and had a Left Nephrectomy (had his left kidney, left renal vein, and a few lymph nodes removed) for a \"left renal mass\". After surgery the news was \"we got it all\" but what that really means is that she got all of her part.

Final Pathologic Diagnosis of the Tumor:
A: Left kidney, radical nephrectomy:
- Renal cell carcinoma, clear cell type, Fuhrman grade 3 of 4
- Size: 8 cm in greatest dimension
- Tumor extends into renal vein
- Artery, vein, ureter, and radial margins free of tumor
- AJCC pathologic stage (7th edition): pT3a N0 MX

B: Para-aortic lymph nodes, dissection:
- Two lymph nodes, negative for malignancy (0/2)

And what a urologist doesn’t concern themselves with (at least to the patients knowledge) is the part of the CT scan report that mentions:

“Few subcentimeter nodules is are identified within the left lower lobe (of the lungs) image 143 and measuring 7 mm, and image 133 abutting the pleura measuring 6 mm, concerning for metastases. There is a 3-mm right anterior upper lobe nodule abutting the minor fissure image 94, also concerning for metastasis. There is a possible right lower lobe peribronchial 4-mm nodule image 106.”

That’s what the Oncologist takes a look at and then they get to give you the bad news! This is where the staging changed to T4 N0 M1

To make a longer story shorter. . . Mike saw OHSU Oncologist Dr. Christopher Ryan, on March 20th, 2012 where a new CT scan reported:

“Multiple pulmonary nodules have increased in size and developed since the previous exam, characteristic for metastatic disease. Within the right middle lobe on image 86, there is a 9-mm nodule which previously measured 3 mm. A new 7 mm nodule has developed within the left lower lobe posterior basal segment in image 107. The 6-mm module is present within the left lower lobe anterior basal segment is unchanged. A new 2-mm nodule seen within the right upper lobe intersegment on image 81 peripherally as well as near the minor fissure in image 94. Trace pleural nodules, measuring under millimeter are suspected along the right pleura near the minor fissure on image 80.”

Also discussed was “life expectancy” . . . (this is where I fell apart!). And counting from this day on, Mike is called a “cancer survivor”.

It was explained how kidney cancer (that’s what they still call it even when it shows up in your lungs or other places) is rarer than most cancers and that it doesn’t respond to usual cancer treatment options of chemo or radiation. We were told about immunotherapy also called biotherapy, specifically high dose Interlukin 2 (HD IL-2). I’ve posted a link on the “learning links” tab if anyone’s interested in all the nitty-gritty details with possible side effects.

Next appointment (the date escapes me) was with OSHU’s Dr. Brandon Hayes Lattin (himself a prostate cancer survivor) who oversees this treatment. He said that Mike was a perfect candidate for this treatment but he would have to be cleared after having more tests (Pulmonary, CT scan, EKG and other bloodwork) on May 17th, 2012 prior to entering the hospital for the first week of treatment starting May 21st, 2012.

All tests cleared him for takeoff!

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