Author: KCCure
Kidney Cancer Awareness – March 2022
March is Kidney Cancer Awareness Month! Over 400,000 people worldwide will be diagnosed with kidney cancer this year. In the United States, 500,000 Americans are living with kidney cancer and 70,000 more will be diagnosed. March is our month to raise awareness about the impact of this disease and the need for more research. Over the last few months, the world has been captivated by shared pu...
KCCure Announces New Research Grant For Chromophobe Renal Cell Carcinoma
November 19, 2021 KCCure is offering a grant totaling $50,000 for a project focused on innovative scientific research in chromophobe renal cell carcinoma (RCC). Chromophobe RCC is a rare subtype of kidney cancer accounting for roughly 5 percent of RCC tumors. When discovered early, this histological type is less likely to spread to other parts of the body. However, once the disease becomes m...
FDA approves the combination of lenvatinib (Lenvima) plus pembrolizumab (Keytruda) for first-line treatment of advanced renal cell carcinoma (RCC)
On August 10, 2021, the Food and Drug Administration approved the combination of lenvatinib (Lenvima) plus pembrolizumab (Keytruda) for first-line treatment of adult patients with advanced renal cell carcinoma (RCC). Pembrolizumab is an anti-PD-1 checkpoint inhibitor that helps the immune system detect and fight tumor cells. Lenvatinib is an anti-angiogenic targeted therapy that inhibits growth of...
No Tie July 2021
What is No Tie July? No Tie July is our annual fundraising effort where we raise $50,000 – one year of research funding – in just one month! Since our launch in 2016, this fundraising effort has helped us to award $400,000 in direct research grants. How Can You Participate? 1.) Designate a Research Priority This year, we are excited to unveil a new feature of our Research Grant Program...
Kidney Cancer Awareness – Our Voice!
This month, we have had the opportunity to share some remarkable RCC survivor stories revealing the depth and breadth of the patient experience. We are grateful to all of the patients and caregivers who participated in this effort. Your stories provide a rich and honest narrative of the patient experience, reminding us that kidney cancer is not one disease and that experiences vary for so many rea...
Voice of Kidney Cancer – Eric Smith
My kidney cancer was found shortly after I saw blood in my urine in December of 2010. Like everyone else who gets a cancer diagnosis, I experienced the sickening anxiety of being informed I had a suspicious mass. In my case, I was told over the phone by a urology PA that the ultrasound had detected a “large mass” in my right kidney that was probably malignant. A radical nephrectomy (laparosc...
Voice of Kidney Cancer – Catherine Yutmeyer
My name is Catherine Yutmeyer. I am 39 years old and live in Central Illinois with my husband and 7 year old son. I have practiced family medicine as a PA for 14 years. I never expected to be a patient myself, and especially not to be the youngest cancer patient in my practice. My cancer journey started in March of 2020. I felt great and had no symptoms. I was standing in front of the mirror...
Voice of Kidney Cancer – Dez Burton
In December 2017 I got diverticulitis for the first time in my life. My gastro doc sent me for a CT scan to see extent of the problem. He called me a few days later to tell me that I had a 5.7cm tumor in my right kidney and told me to see my urologist as soon as possible. I saw my urologist in early January 2018 and he confirmed from the scan that it looked like clear cell renal cell carcino...
Voice of Kidney Cancer – Larry Garza
In May of 2016 I coughed up blood multiple times. My doctor recommended I go see him to avoid expensive emergency room costs since it sounded like a sinus infection. The next day I went it and alas, I had a sinus infection. For precautionary purposes he ordered a chest scan to rule out any other issues and ease my anxiety. After my scans results came in they found a 5cm mass in my right lung. Bein...
Voice of Kidney Cancer – Carie Gort
August 6, 2019: I was experiencing: A cough I couldn’t shake. Unexplained weight loss. Terrible night sweats. Fatigue. Exhaustion. (Slept from after dinner until morning on weekdays, and all weekend long). and Digestive discomfort. I KNEW something was not right. Everyone kept saying it was menopause. My PCP ordered a chest x-ray and blood work.The chest x-ray showed four small nodules in m...
Voice of Kidney Cancer – Robert Grizzell
I was diagnosed with kidney cancer 12/4/07. I had passed out at a Providence Medical Center fundraiser with a room full of doctors. An ultrasound was ordered which showed an enlarged right kidney. This was followed up with a CT Scan which showed an eight cm tumor in the right kidney and several small tumors in my lungs. I had my right kidney removed right after Christmas. As luck would have ...