K12 — March 2010 — Kidney Cancer

Intro: Imagine this: you go to the doctor for an upset stomach, and a CT scan reveals a large tumor on your kidney. The truth is, most kidney cancers are found like that: during tests for other issues. That's because these tumors often don't cause symptoms. Here's the story of a woman who had a kidney tumor the size of a football and didn't even know it.

"THAT TUMOR COULD HAVE BEEN THERE FOR 10 YEARS AND I HAD NO IDEA."

GANELLA ANDERSON HAD NO IDEA THAT AS SHE CROCHETED AND PRACTICED HER CROSS STITCH, HER TUMOR GREW.

"I KNITT, I CROCHET, I CROSS STITCH, I SEW."

GANELLA EXPLAINS WHY SHE THINKS IT HAPPENED.

"IT WAS A STORM MY FAMILY AND I HAD TO GO THROUGH. I'VE ALWAYS BEEN HEALTHY. NEVER HAD PROBLEMS. WE HAD AN IDEAL LIFE."

SURVIVING CANCER'S MADE GANELLA GRATEFUL FOR EVERY DAY – EVERY MOMENT.

"GOD WAS GOOD TO ME."

"THIS IS THE TOP OF THE TUMOR COMING INTO VIEW AND IT'S TAKEN UP A FAIRLY LARGE PORTION OF YOUR BELLY."

MAYO CLINIC UROLOGIST DR. BRADLEY LEIBOVICH LEAD GANELLA'S SURGICAL TEAM, WHICH ALSO INCLUDED PANCREAS AND COLON SPECIALISTS. THAT'S BECAUSE THE LARGE TUMOR WAS INFRINGING ON THOSE ORGANS. DURING SURGERY THEY REMOVED THE TUMOR AND ENTIRE LEFT KIDNEY. THEY ALSO REMOVED PART OF THE COLON, AND REPAIRED WHAT REMAINED. "THE FANTASTIC THING ABOUT MRS. ANDERSON'S CASE IS THAT, IT WAS TWO YEARS AGO, AND SHE'S HAD NO FURTHER TREATMENT. SHE'S HAD NO EVIDENCE OF RECURRENCE OF HER CANCER, AND WE HAVEN'T HAD TO DO ANYTHING OTHER THAN THE SURGERY ITSELF." "GIVEN A SECOND CHANCE." TO LIVE AND ENJOY A FULL LIFE.

FOR MEDICAL EDGE, I'M VIVIEN WILLIAMS.

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