HOUSTON – Entering her third trimester, 21-year-old Flory Lopez was in a lot of pain. Her pain was explained away as pregnancy-related issues.
However, the pain stayed consistent after labor, which sent doctors went looking for the source.
“They found that I had gallstones, but aside from that, they also saw something very strange,” Lopez said.
By coincidence, on her scan doctors could see a growth on her kidneys, which turned out to be cancer. Soon after, with a newborn baby at home, Lopez was in surgery.
“We were able to approach the kidney from the back, what’s called a retroperitoneal approach, which is not commonly available just because a lot of surgeons are not comfortable with that approach,” said Dr. Samit Soni, urologist with Memorial Hermann Memorial City. “It does allow for generally a little quicker recovery.”
The good news is, Soni said the surgery cleared her cancer, and no more treatment is needed. Her doctors will continue to monitor her kidneys for five years.
She’s happy to have regular exams since her health has become a priority after the birth of her son.
“I don’t want my son to be without me,” Lopez said.
Even though the cancer is thought to be gone, she’s now hyperaware of the complications she or her son could face down the road and she’s determined to be proactive in keeping them healthy.
According to Dr. Soni, kidney cancer affects all ages.
Symptoms can include:
- Pain
- Weight loss
- Blood in urine
Dr. Soni said smoking, obesity and metabolic complications like high blood pressure and diabetes can contribute to your risk factors for kidney cancer.