Need Help and Answers! EXTENSIVE SMALL CELL LUNG CANCER

MeaganM439

My dad was just taken to the ER on Tuesday because his stomach was swelling. They did tests and found that he has Small Cell Lung Cancer which has spread to his liver. His liver is completely infested with tumors, 30-40 if not more. He has not had a CT of his Brain nor the Bone test. He is at one Hospital now; Bayfront, we are trying to move him to Moffit. We were told yesturday he would be sent there today and now we are feeling as if everyone is giving us a run around about him going to moffit.

I need to know if he should be starting Chemo and Radiotherapy now?

When do they start Chemo and Radiotherapy?

What is the survival rate?

And pretty much any more information anyone can give me about this horrible disease.
I want to know if we should just ask the doctors at Bayfront to start or if they could start, or just wait until he gets to moffit. Will time have passed too fast? Could some of the cancer start to die if he starts Chemo today?

I have been all over the web and there really is not too much info about these questions.

Thank you to everyone that responds. Please pray for my dad. God Bless

PreciousFox15

Hello Meangan,
I can only
Hello Meangan,

I can only tell you what I have learned so far. My husband was diagnosed on 8/27/2009, with Small Cell Lung Cancer extensive (SCLC). Not Non-Small Lung Cancer (NSLC). There is a big differant between the two. If you had to choose between the two, (NSLC) is more treatable and maybe even curable (not sure since I haven't been researching NSLC).

He is 45 and went into the ER on 8/24/09 with this pain he had in his chest for about two weeks that he and I thought might be from him sleeping wrong.

When he went in they did x-rays and all he was able to tell me was that they said "It doesn't look good".

They started to run more tests, MRI, CT scan and others I can't remember at the moment.

I know prior to Thursday (the day he found out it was cancer), they put a needle through his back into the lining around his right lung. I believe the next day is when they said that most likely the fluid has cancer cells , but sometimes it is very hard to tell,so they are treating it as Extensive Small Cell Lung Cancer.

When I got to the hospital on Thursday, he told me about the cancer. He was just finishing with his first round of three Chemos. He will have six cycles with three rounds each.

From that day forward I have been on this computer non stop researching everything I can find on this type of cancer(thank god I'm a research junkie and always wanted to be a doctor.....LOL).

We saw his Oncologist yesterday and I came prepared with everything that I have recieved in the mail and everything I have printed out from the internet(huge folder).

I knew what I wanted to be done as the next step, scan before his second chemo cycle starts(originally she wanted to do it after the second cycle of chemo was done), and as soon as possible, radiation to the brain(this type of cancer is known to traval to the brain).I was happy to find out yesterday that she was doing this anyways.

There are also clinical trials out there all over the USA and abroad. Not to many for SCLC and I would think that is because not to many people get SCLC, they get NSCLC instead.

My husbands cancer has spread to his liver also, but only a small spot.

I'm scared to death to find out what the scan says on Monday. I was a wreak when I was first told about all this. I cried so much I was dehydrated. I mean he is so young, my best friend and we get along so well(married 15 years, no kids).I haven't worked or needed to for the last six years. Not only am I going to lose my husband but then shortly after I'm going to lose my house that him and I have made into our home.

I'm now just taking it one day at a time. Why get upset about the future when I'm not sure what it is going to bring us.

He has faced the fact that he "Danced with the devil,and now he has to pay the price". I don't look at it this way at all. I am going to fight and never going to give up. You will find out from other people on this board, that everyone's body acts differently to chemo.
What might work for you might now work for me.

Don't always believe what the doctors tell you. I'm not saying they are always wrong or always right. But they are just as human as you and I are. We ALL make mistakes(moms friend had the wrong arm operated on many years ago, made for a nice law suit....LOL). But if you are uncomfortable with his doctor then get a different one, or if you know of a hospital that has a better reputation, go for it. But I have been told that if you want to have something done that the doctor didn't call for the insurance might not pay for it.

Oh and by the way....I would get a second opinion, you will read a lot of that being said on these boards.

If you have any other questions, feel free to ask here. Everyone is very nice.

You and your Dad are in my prayers. Please keep my up to date on how he is doing.


God Bless,

Sherry :-)

Unknown

This comment has been removed by the Moderator

MeaganM439

Here is an update:
My Dad is
Here is an update:

My Dad is doing great, we got him into Moffitt Cancer Center shortly after I posted the first post.
They did all of their testing and it came back that he did have SSLC. They started him on Chemo, not sure what it is called. He takes it three days a week every third week. This last round may have been his last cycle of Chemo or he may have one more. Then possibly Radiation.

Once all of this is completed he will then go into the Clinical Trial they having going on in Moffitt. It will be a vaccine they give him that will prevent the SSLC from coming back.

I would like for everyone else to know that may have just been diagnosed with this SCARY disease that there is HOPE!

I will keep updating this as his battle continues! God Bless everyone and I hope everyone has a Merry Christmas!

CCAOG

MeaganM439 said:

Here is an update:
My Dad is
Here is an update:

My Dad is doing great, we got him into Moffitt Cancer Center shortly after I posted the first post.
They did all of their testing and it came back that he did have SSLC. They started him on Chemo, not sure what it is called. He takes it three days a week every third week. This last round may have been his last cycle of Chemo or he may have one more. Then possibly Radiation.

Once all of this is completed he will then go into the Clinical Trial they having going on in Moffitt. It will be a vaccine they give him that will prevent the SSLC from coming back.

I would like for everyone else to know that may have just been diagnosed with this SCARY disease that there is HOPE!

I will keep updating this as his battle continues! God Bless everyone and I hope everyone has a Merry Christmas!

Interested in finding out about the vaccine
First I would like to say good luck to your father, I trully hope that everything works out well for him. I will be praying for him as I do for all of us that are fighting this disease. I also have sclc, and am in round 2 with it. I was previously told that I was in remission, but I now have more cancer cells in the fluid in my lung. I am wanting to find out about this vaccine you are talking about. Could you send me any information you might have about it. My email address is jeff.henry07@comcast.net Thank you and the best of luck to your Father and you and all your family.