Surviving Kidney Cancer Twice

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This is a guest post by Peter Croes, a 78-year-old two-time renal cancer survivor who was initially diagnosed with kidney cancer in 1993. Peter is a patient at Moffitt Cancer Center in Tampa, Florida and lived in Lakeland, FL before moving to Dillard in the northeast mountains of Georgia in 2022. He returns to Moffitt, with Jeanie, his wife, for follow up testing and annual visits as needed and/or recommended.

I am no longer a young man although I’m not an old man. I am a two-time renal cancer survivor and this is my story.

Cancer, in any form, is never fair. As the actor John Wayne wrote: Tomorrow is the most important day of your life!

I grew up in Tennessee as a free-range kid and moved to Lakeland, Florida in 1972 after graduate school. I began donating blood in the late 1960’s as often as I was able and continued that practice until 1993 when I received a false positive for hepatitis following my 5th gallon donation.

That false positive ultimately revealed a growth in the lateral cortex of my right kidney. I had a radical nephrectomy to remove my right kidney and ultimately that was my first kidney cancer diagnosis.

At that time, I/we viewed that discovery – with absolutely no symptoms – as a gift from God and all of the blood recipients over the years. That first renal surgery saw me in and out of the Lakeland Regional Medical Center in three days with annual follow-ups for several years until it was deemed future follow up scans and tests were not necessary.

Fast forward to mid-February of 2019 when a routine follow-up scan from a previous hernia repair indicated another growth within my left solitary kidney. After review, I was referred to the Moffitt Cancer Center and to Dr. Brandon Manley in the Genitourinary Oncology unit for multiple diagnostic procedures. That week I made a couple of trips over to Tampa filling out forms and personally conveying copies of my medical records.

I want to note that, while the treatment is challenging and strenuous on the patient, it is equally as hard – or harder – on the spouse, significant other, or health care giver as they sit and wait during tests, diagnostic procedures and surgeries. Jeanie was with me through thick and thin with all of the testing and procedures and my major surgery. And we functioned as a team along with the team of Moffitt’s doctors and staff.

With every visit, once the initial paperwork was completed, Jeanie’s support during cancer treatment was immensely important — emotionally, physically, and even medically. While everyone’s experience with cancer is unique. I attribute her strong presence and support, along with the first-class care I received at Moffitt Cancer Center improved both my outcome and quality of life.

Here’s why her support mattered – it enabled me to cope with my fears and anxiety. A second occurrence of renal cancer brought a wave of emotional challenges, especially after 30-plus years since the first diagnosis. Jeanie provided comfort, stability, and a safe space for me to express difficult emotions, thereby reducing thoughts of depression or isolation. We were, if possible after over forty-five years of marriage, more emotionally connected, which further reduced loneliness.

The encouragement Jeanie shared in this journey strengthened my will to keep fighting and stay engaged in my care. Her practical support, such as driving to treatments and post-treatment recovery, often required assistance and acting as my advocate in medical settings, asking questions of the doctors after procedures and ensuring that she understood what the procedures and findings were so we could fully understand the treatment plans.

The bottom line was that we faced the cancers together, further deepening our relationship, even though it may also have simultaneously introduce strain, and was a crucial component to my successful treatment. We had a two-way journey both before Moffitt and during all of my follow up visits.

After an initial regimen of antibiotics to eliminate an infection and thorough testing, two biopsies and multiple other tests were conducted and the second biopsies indicated a cancer in my left solitary kidney. In early July 2019 Dr. Brandon Manley and his team performed the surgery on my left solitary kidney removing approximately 40%. After every procedure, Jeanie and/or myself were fully informed regarding what was done and what our treatment path ongoing options were.

I was fortunate enough that I had treatment alternatives, and that we chose Moffitt for my care. The treatment options offered to me included:

• Do nothing; or
• Try ablation injections procedures in an attempt to block/contain the cancer’s further spreading progress where every checkup or scan indicating no further growth progress would be a small victory; or
• Go to Tampa General, have Dr. Manley remove the kidney then surgically remove the cancer, and have the transplant team reattach it; or
• Have the surgery performed at Moffitt.

Having surgery at Moffitt with Dr. Manley and the staff here was the agreed upon (and we are thankful that we did) best option

Dr. Manley and the surgical team completed an extensive surgical procedure followed by a multiple sessions of dialysis until I was healed, absent the need for continued treatment.

Moffitt’s dedicated team work tirelessly to provide leading-edge care and research to advance the fight against cancer. I felt you’re not a number but a person that they are trying to help on your journey dealing with cancer. Once you are here as a patient, you are part of the Moffitt family and treated as such. I can hardly remember all of the medical personnel and staff members I have had contact with since I first was a patient back early in 2019 but I find it very comforting when you walk by one of them and they call out your name and ask how are you doing! Rarely have I experienced that elsewhere as a patient.

After several days in the hospital, and a couple of in-room dialysis treatments, I was discharged in mid-July wherein I began my dialysis scheduled treatments in Lakeland.

I was very fortunate that “LK” – the name my wife assigned to the remaining little kidney – began fully functioning according to my nephrologist in Lakeland and Dr. Manley was able to schedule the removal of the central line used for dialysis. I continued with post-surgical follow-ups and tests every six months and eventually on an annual basis with my last being in 2025. My next follow-up will likely be in early 2027.

Cancer is never fair and cures depend on research. In the future, you may be asked for financial assistance and, if you can, I’m sure your generosity could impact research and help for others traveling down our treatment path. I realize that there are many other cancer patients, at present and historically, whose renal cancer journeys are far worse than mine!

In early April of 2025 – five years after my second bout with renal cancer and 35 years after my first diagnosis – my scans showed no further signs or indicators of cancer!

Post cancer treatments, and during my present and future monitoring, I enjoy working in my woodworking shop, fly fishing, occasional golf, and traveling with my wife.

One of the most important aspects of cancer treatment for the patient as well as for the supporting health care giver is between your ears! Understand your cancer journey, whether you are at a place like Moffitt or any other cancer-treating facility, seek out resources that can help you do this, and most of all keep a positive mental attitude!

Today is a gift as tomorrow never comes; although, tomorrow hopes we have learned something from yesterday!