My consult with the oncologist was another bracing experience. My urologists had said they thought it was doubtful that post-op chemo would be recommended to clear up any stray cancer cells that may have escaped surgery, since the TCC seemed contained to the one kidney.

By this time my own research had me pretty alarmed – High-grade T3 tumor patients tended to have a 5-year survival rate around 23% – a bit less than 1 in 4 – not what I was trying to hear.

 The oncologist said "It seems to me that chemo has not been shown to extend survival times with this cancer." Damn, I'd rather she said "chemotherapy not neccessary in your case." But she also said since upper tract transitional cell cancer is so rare, no one in Southern Oregon had had much experience with it. She recommended a trip up to Oregon Health Sciences University in Portland for a second opinion from the doctors at the Knight Cancer Center there. Looked like I'd be heading north for a day or 2.