142: Jeff Kallis survived renal cell carcinoma | kidney cancer | right kidney nephrectomy | diverticulosis | ct urogram

Jeff Kallis survived renal cell carcinoma, a form of kidney cancer.  When he experienced pain in his lower flank and saw blood in his urine, he sought medical attention.  A CT urogram revealed a stone in his left kidney and a mass in his right kidney.  A biopsy confirmed he had clear cell renal cell carcinoma.  Jeff underwent a radical nephrectomy on his right kidney.  The operation was painful, but a success.  Through exercise and a healthy diet, Jeff says he feels better than he did before his diagnosis.  He shares his story with the @CancerInterviews podcast.   Jeff Kallis was enjoying an active lifestyle in late 2021 when he experienced some nasty symptoms for the first time.  They included pain in his lower flank.  He thought the pain would go away, but it didn't, and in fairly short order, he saw blood in his urine.  That's when he sought medical attention.   His primary care physician first sought to rule out kidney stones and the possibility of urinary tract infection.  Tests showed no presence of a UTI, but a CT urogram did reveal a stone in Jeff's left kidney.  That, he expected.  What he didn't expect was subsequent news that of a mass in his right kidney.   Jeff's urologist thought Jeff had kidney cancer but wanted to be sure and ordered a biopsy on the right kidney.  Its results confirmed he had Stage III clear cell renal cell carcinoma.    He was relieved to know that treatment would not include chemotherapy or radiation treatment.  Immunotherapy was considered and rejected, but Jeff went ahead with a nephrectomy, removing his right kidney.  The operation was painful but considered a success.   Following the procedure, Jeff moved around very slowly, but as the pain subsided, he became more active.  He combined slowly increasing exercise with a healthy Mediterranean diet provided by his wife, who he says is an excellent cook.   Jeff Kallis is cancer free but goes in for checkups every six months.  He says he physically feels as well as he did before his diagnosis but emotionally feels better than he did pre-diagnosis as he concentrates on healthy diet and exercise.   Additional Resources:   Support Group:   Kidney Cancer Association: https://www.kidneycancer.org   Jeff's Website: https://www.kidneycouch.com   Jeff's Book: One Kidney – Dealing with Kidney Cancer