Kidney Cancer Example
ccRCC Stage T3a, Grade 3
These images are from my personal journey with Clear Cell Renal Cell Carcinoma.
I was diagnosed in January 2023 and had a radical nephrectomy in February 2023.
jeff kallis
CT Scan Images
The CT scan on January 25, 2023 confirmed that I had a kidney stone) and pinpointed where the stone was located. I did have a 6 mm kidney stone from my left kidney, lodged in the ureter at the entrance of the bladder and refusing to move further.
In addition, something more sinister was identified. A 5 cm mass in my other (right) kidney. Thank God for that kidney stone. I had no symptoms from the kidney mass itself, in the right kidney.
​
CT scans and MRI's do a lot of slicing and dicing of body parts, and keeps them together in the end.
Kidney Stone
Kidney Tumor
Pathology - Kidney
This is my right kidney that was removed during my radical nephrectomy. The highlighted area is the kidney mass.
​
The pathologist at Mayo Clinic, Dr. John Cheville, diagnosed the mass as Stage T3a, Grade 3, with renal vein invasion.
​
The mass was a higher stage and grade and was more invasive than what could be seen with imaging alone.
The time from when I was first tested for symptoms (January 20, 2023) until the tumor was removed from my kidney (February 15, 2023) was 27 days. That's one of many benefits from being seen at an integrated medical practice (Mayo Clinic Rochester) that specializes in kidney cancer. Profoundly grateful for the care and compassion I have received.