Can you do chemo with only one kidney?

[Tybear]

Hi there...I've written questions to you in the past and you've been very helpful and I'm wondering if you could shed some light on this subject for me.
I continue to have issues with my left kidney due to a tumor obstructing my ureter. I had a nephrostomy tube put in back in September and, in short, it made my life awful. I was in constant pain and ended up in hospital for a week with a bad infection. I finally asked my doctor to remove it as it was causing me too much grief.
I'm stuck now because I'm out of options. I've tried stents before (have had atleast 12, maybe more...I can't remember) and no luck with the nephrostomy tube. My surgeons have already told me that they believe the tumor is attached to where the ureter meets the kidney and that they most likely would not be able to remove the tumor without removing the kidney.
My question is - can you have chemo with only one kidney? My creatinine has always been great, but I know that's not a *true* reflection of how your individual kidneys are working. What are the risks with doing this? I'm currently on daily cyclophosphamide but will be starting Avastin again on November 4th.
Thank you in advance,
Becky

[Annekathryn Goodman, M.D.]

Hi Becky,
Sorry, I missed your post in my last sweep .

Yes you can have chemo with only one kidney.
Many chemo drugs are metabolized and cleared through the kidney. The most famous being platinum drugs.

Cytoxan is actually metabolized by the liver but it is excreted by the kidneys. One rare side effect is hemorrhagic cystitis from the metabolites of cytoxan causing irritation to the bladder lining. This is avoided by staying well hydrated.

If you have one nonfunctional kidney that is getting infected because it is blocked, removing the kidney is an option.  In general, we tend to be reluctant to do that if there is any function in the kidney. There is always the risk of losing your other kidney.

best wishes to you

[Tybear]

Just to clairify, I was diagnosed with stage 3c ovarian cancer (MPSC) in 2005 and recurred October 2006 - I'm still dealing with this recurrence and one of the tumors is obstructing my ureter. My gyne onc referred me to a urological oncoligist surgeon, but I just want to know - is chemo possible with only one kidney?
Thanks in advance,
Becky

[Tybear]

Do you have any advice at all? I'm scheduled to visit my gyne onc surgeon this Thursday and I want to know if this is something I should be asking her about or not.
Thanks,
Becky