Kidney Cancer Patient Stories

When the urologist did an MRI, he found that instead of a cyst, it was a tumor on the kidney and he suggested I have my kidney removed. I was not too sure about having it completely removed and a cousin who had been working for Fox Chase for over 40 years suggested I get a second opinion with a doctor there.

I never expected what I heard, that my cancer was aggressive. I went back to my primary care doctor and asked if I should get a second opinion. He told me I should, so I was referred to Dr. Alexander Kutikov, a surgical oncologist at Fox Chase Cancer Center. This was all during the time that COVID-19 was beginning to ramp up in the United States. I was concerned that my surgery would be rescheduled or even canceled.

Becoming a grandfather was something I had been looking forward to for years. But just before I learned that my daughter-in-law was pregnant, I was diagnosed with Stage 4 kidney cancer. I couldn’t bear the thought of getting to know my grandson and then not getting to be there to watch him grow up.

Louis Della Penna made an appointment at Fox Chase Cancer Center in 1994 because he was concerned about a chronic sore throat. It was the best decision he made since he learned shortly after that he had kidney cancer. Louis underwent surgery to remove the cancer from his kidney and surrounding tissue. Today he is cancer free and supports programs at Fox Chase, including two endowments he and his wife funded. "My feelings for Fox Chase are very strong," he said. "If you want to support something wonderful, there is no better place to give, no matter what your contribution. I am cancer free today, and I continue to return to Fox Chase for follow-up visits. It’s an amazing story."