1 – MARY & TRENT                                                            Cassie

Waukesha, Wisconsin, USA

 

JUNE 21, 2007

 

Stage IV RCC.  Original diagnosis, March, 2000.  Tumor encapsulated in kidney, took left kidney, no further follow up.  Had CT-scans every 6 months.  Two and a half years later, a new mass grew in the area where the left kidney was.  Surgery to remove tumor in September, 2002, followed by 33 sessions of radiation.  6 month CT-scans follow up.  Everything was fine until August, 2005, when I began coughing up blood.  Tumors were now in my lungs.  They did surgery to remove the bleeder, but closed me right back up , because they said there were too many, and they were too large to operate.  I started traditional chemotherapy (interleukin/interferon) which I was extremely sick and they decided no more.  In late December, 2005 they told me there was nothing more they could do for me.

 

However, 4 weeks later I got a phone call that Nexavar had just been released by the FDA.  I was the first patient at Waukesha Memorial to be on this oral chemotherapy drug.  In 4 months, my first CT-scan showed most of my tumors were gone, and the ones that remained had shrunk dramatically. However over the next 3 months, there was no change, and that last 2 months, I actually got 2 additional tumors (small).  So in December, 2006 I was put on Sutent.  I have just finished Round 5, and all the tumors in my lungs are now gone, except for a 2 cm tumor, and also one 2 cm tumor on my back (this one I can feel) to the touch.  I have been lucky in that I was never dealing with cancer in more than one place at any one time.  I truly feel I am on my way to being tumor free and a total 7 year survivor.  Side effects, yes, the usual, but bearable.  Probably only 4-5 really bad days during the 6-week cycle.  I am the originator of this Sharing & Caring group, because I want all the newbies to know that you DO have a fighting chance.  (Husband: Trent)