Questions posted in the The Urology Forum have been answered by urologists from Henry Ford Health System and by Dr. Kevin Pho.

Question Title: Cancerous kidney removed but headaches and grogginess still occurring

Forum: The Urology Forum
Topic: Kidney Cancer

My mother was recently diagnosed with renal cancer which had spread to the surrounding blood vessels and lymph nodes, and she underwent an operation 8 weeks ago to remove the kidney. Since the operation she has been almost continuously in a state which she describes as 'tired and groggy' and which includes headaches. The grogginess puts her in almost constant discomfort and on bad days it causes her real distress. Her local doctor has stated that there is nothing he can do about the headaches because they are a result of the cancer, but a cancer specialist who examined her prior to having radiotherapy in a few weeks time has stated that the grogginess is nothing to do with the cancer. Mum has been prone to attacks of grogginess for a number of years, but this is now permanent. Please could you advise whether the grogginess should be treated separately from the cancer or whether we have to hope that radiotherapy will help.

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Dear Geoff,

Renal Cell Cancer is a common tumor of the urinary tract . Approximately 24,000 cases occur in the US per year. The most common symptoms are flank pain, flank mass and hematuria .
Renal cancer can cause many symptoms which seem unrelated to the mass in the kidney. Often times, these tumors can get quite large before they are discovered . The common associated problems include fever of unknown origin, anemia , liver dysfunction, cachexia (unexplained weight loss) and elevated calcium. This myriad of nonspecific symptoms and signs could all be the cause of “ grogginess” that you describe.
I would recommend having your mother fully evaluated for the accompanying diseases associated with kidney cancer if this has not already been done.
With regard to the post-operative radiation, unfortunately renal cell cancer does not respond to radiation very well. There are experimental protocols available at larger institutions that utilize proteins such as interferon’s and lymphocytes such as tumor activated lymphocytes. This information is provided for general medical education purposes only. Please consult your physician for diagnostic and treatment options pertaining to your specific medical condition. More individualized care is available at the Henry Ford Hospital and its satellites (1 800 653 6568).

HFHS MD-KR
*keyword : renal cell cancer
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