Christine Farrell-LePage is a long-term survivor of stage 3 translocation Xp11.2 Renal Cell Carcinoma, a rare subtype of kidney cancer. Although this subtype is more frequently seen in pediatric cancers, it’s rising in incidence in adult kidney cancer patients. This is her story.
My journey started the summer of 2014. I woke up to find blood in my urine, from that point, my family doctor started performing test after test with no clear answer, then sent me to a urologist. The urologist had performed a test on my bladder, took blood work and scheduled a CT scan with contrast. The CT scan showed I had a tumor on my right kidney and I was scheduled for my 1st biopsy. At my follow up appointment the doctor was so excited to tell me my tumor was benign and come back in 3-6 months for a repeat MRI to see if the tumor had grown.
But even after the appointment, I still wasn’t quite satisfied. So I decided to do some more research about kidney tumors. The information I found said that 95% of all kidney tumors are cancerous. I was really alarmed and couldn’t believe that I was really that lucky to be in the five percent. I decided to schedule an appointment with Dana Farber for a second opinion and thank God I did. After a biopsy down in Boston, it was determined the tumor was cancerous.
I had my right kidney removed at Brigham Woman’s Hospital in Boston by a surgeon experienced with kidney cancer. He also took out several localized lymph nodes that looked suspicious. My surgery was performed laparoscopically, I was only in the hospital 4 days and recovery wasn’t nearly as bad as what I had expected. The most shocking news besides being misdiagnosed, was hearing the words at my follow appointment after surgery, “Christine, the surgery was successful, I removed your right kidney and while I was doing that, I noticed several lymph nodes that looked suspicious and took them out as well. The pathology report has come back. The lymph nodes tested positive for cancer but more importantly, you have a rare & aggressive form of kidney cancer: Stage 3 Grade 2 Xp11.2 Translocation RCC and I want you to be seen by the top oncologist at Dana Farber for kidney cancer.”
Needless to say, both my husband and I were shocked! It was hard to process the vast difference between hearing I did not have cancer to I have cancer; a rare & aggressive form of kidney cancer.
In 2014, there were not too many options available for Stage 3 RCC, so my oncologist suggested a clinical trial OR do nothing and when it comes back, surgically remove it and hope newer treatment will be available at that time. I decided to take the clinical trial drug, Everolimous for 54 weeks and start living my life as if I were dying.
It’s been 2 years since I stopped my clinical trial. I travel from Syracuse NY to Boston MA every 4 months for scans. I am happy to say, so far, I am good! I don’t take anything or anyone for granted. I try to surround myself with the people I love and do what makes me happy. So much has changed in my life since my diagnosis and I have to admit, not all of it is bad, things do happen for a reason.
If I didn’t have kidney cancer, I’m not so sure I would be able to look at my life through the same set of lenses as I do now. Kidney cancer has been a curse and a blessing all at the same time. Discovering what is most important in life is a lesson I’ve learned and am grateful for since my diagnosis. Spending time with family, friends, my husband and making memories with my beautiful granddaughters is what is most important to me.
I will forever be grateful for having the insight and intuition not to believe the 1st biopsy/urologist in my hometown and wait 3-6 months to repeat the CT scan to see if my mass enlarged. I honestly do not believe I would be here writing this today had I not had the courage to seek a second opinion.
