Question 1

my mother has lung cancer.  we were told her kidneys are shrinking.  does this mean kidney failure?

Accepted Answer

Kidney size: Smaller kidneys typically means scar is setting into the kidneys.  The diagnosis of kidney insufficiency or kidney change in function requires blood testing of serum creatinine level, which is routine.  Ask the doctor to measure serum creatinine value as soon as possible.  It should be less than 1.2.

Question 2

stage 4 lung cancer, given 12 months 18 months ago, lost heaps of weight, now large mass in kidneys, need to know how long left to take kids 4 l visit?

Accepted Answer

Cancer prognosis: Sorry to hear about the grim diagnosis. It's impossible to tell exactly high much longer without knowing the functional status of the person. 6 months is generic survival span in most cases, but it can be more or less than that depending on the aggressiveness of the cancer, etc.

Question 3

no symptoms and felt fine til they told me i had stage iv primary lung cancer / 2nd kidney cancer. is it that unusual or rare for a person to live a long normal life without ever knowing they have it?

Accepted Answer

Lung cancer: About 35-40% patients when diagnosed with stage 4 nsclc do not have symptoms and signs of that and it is found as part of routine imaging or based on some very subtle and non specific signs and symptoms.

Question 4

should i take a full strength of chemo. when only 1/3 of the strength causes bad chest pain i have only about 15% of my heart and 20% of my kidney. i have lung cancer, the no cell cancer, with each treatment it has affected my heart. but if i don't take t

Accepted Answer

This : This is certainly a difficult situation. One of the most important thing to do when giving chemotherapy to a patient is safety. If you have heart and kidney problems and are also having bad chest pains when you get chemotherapy it may not be safe to continue to get the same full dose of chemotherapy. Furthermore, it may not be safe to keep giving you the same chemotherapy at all.

Many times we are able to reduce the dose of chemotherapy without having an impact on how effective it is. Even if the chemotherapy has to be stopped and the cancer eventually grows back again, that is actually better than dying from a bad side effect from chemotherapy.

Chemotherapy can be very dangerous in patients that are not fit enough to get it or in patients whose heart, kidneys, liver or bone marrows are not working well. In these cases it is better to stop or reduce the dose rather than giving full doses and harm the patient.

You should talk to your doctor and express your concerns and symptoms. Together, you should be able to find a treatment that gets you the most benefit and the least side effects.

Best regards,

ariel.

Question 5

are kidney cancer cells different from breast cancer cells and lung cancer cells?

Accepted Answer

Yes: All three can be classified as adenocarcinoma,  but each has characteristics which let them be identified by the organ of origin.

Question 6

can someone live years without ever knowing they have stage iv lung cancer or kidney cancer ?.  and only to find out later on during an autopsy that it was present ?

Accepted Answer

Yes: Both are cancers in deep tissue and may cause no symptoms until coughing, bleeding, pain.

Question 7

74yr old male with kidney cancer non aggressive, very large soft tissue sarcoma in thigh primary (incurable), lung cancer  secondary aggressive. no treatment for any due to misdiagnosis.. short of breath, tires easily. what would life expectancy be?

Accepted Answer

Hard to guess: One's life expectancy is hard to tell even for the doctors who are taking care of the patient in-person. Life expectancy is not something we can guess on a free, public forum. With very advanced disease, the goal is to have better days during the remaining days, weeks, or months. The goal is not to live longer, but rather to live in more comfort to better enjoy the remaining time.

Question 8

can pancreatic cancer cause gout and kidney failure?

Accepted Answer

Yes: Pancreatic cancer can possibly lead to gout and kidney failure.  See your oncologist to find out if this is your cause.

Question 9

what are the causes of kidney failure and brain cancer?

Accepted Answer

Many causes: Kidney failure can be caused by many things--hypertension and diabetes are the most common. Drug abuse can also cause damage to the kidneys as can some prescription medications. 
The cause of brain cancer is not well known.

Question 10

can my 81 year old grandmother be able to function normally as she is on a ventilator, suffers from pericardial effusion, kidney failure and cancer?

Accepted Answer

End of Life: I am very sorry to hear of your grandmother's troubles. It must be very hard for you.  Miracles do happen, but it sounds like your grandmother is nearing the end of her life.  These days when she is so sick may become treasured memories for you as you and your family get to be with her and to talk to her and to tell her how much she is loved.  Let's let the rest be in god's hands for now.

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Doctor answers about:

Lung cancer kidney failure

A member asked:

My mother has lung cancer. we were told her kidneys are shrinking. does this mean kidney failure?

A member asked:

Stage 4 lung cancer, given 12 months 18 months ago, lost heaps of weight, now large mass in kidneys, need to know how long left to take kids 4 l visit?

A member asked:

No symptoms and felt fine til they told me i had stage iv primary lung cancer / 2nd kidney cancer. is it that unusual or rare for a person to live a long normal life without ever knowing they have it?

A member asked:

Should i take a full strength of chemo. when only 1/3 of the strength causes bad chest pain i have only about 15% of my heart and 20% of my kidney. i have lung cancer, the no cell cancer, with each treatment it has affected my heart. but if i don't take t

A member asked:

Are kidney cancer cells different from breast cancer cells and lung cancer cells?

A member asked:

Can someone live years without ever knowing they have stage iv lung cancer or kidney cancer ?. and only to find out later on during an autopsy that it was present ?

A member asked:

74yr old male with kidney cancer non aggressive, very large soft tissue sarcoma in thigh primary (incurable), lung cancer secondary aggressive. no treatment for any due to misdiagnosis.. short of breath, tires easily. what would life expectancy be?

A member asked:

Can pancreatic cancer cause gout and kidney failure?

A member asked:

What are the causes of kidney failure and brain cancer?

A member asked:

Can my 81 year old grandmother be able to function normally as she is on a ventilator, suffers from pericardial effusion, kidney failure and cancer?

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