small cell lung cancer

nikjenks09
nikjenks09 Member Posts: 1
in Lung Cancer #1
I recently viewed a blog written by a person named Richard in 2002, which said he had small cell lung cancer in which was removed on 2000. I was wondering if this man was still surviving this cancer. my mother has small cell, they did a recession of the upper lobe march 3rd,2011. I guess i just need to know, is small cell lung cancer curable. i just feel like the Dr's are giving her false hope. another spot has now been found on her adrenal gland. they want to do chemo.I HEARD THAT CHEMO KILLS YOUR GOOD CELLS AS WELL AS THE BAD ONES. IS THIS TRUE?My mom gets nausea very easily, and is in poor health besides the cancer. she had heart stints in December, and still has some blockage, she has stomach ulcers, she had her gallbladder removed in January. I'm new to this network, any information will be greatly appreciated.

Comments

  • linz1982
    linz1982 Member Posts: 18
    #2
    Small cell is not curable.
    Small cell is not curable. Small cell lung cancer is a more aggressive cancer. You can treat it where it is but it will come back somewhere else. If you are wanting some information, www.cancer.org is a excellent website to go to. I go there to look things up that my fathers oncologist has talked about.
  • medi_2
    medi_2 Member Posts: 505 Member
    #3
    linz1982 said:

    Small cell is not curable.
    Small cell is not curable. Small cell lung cancer is a more aggressive cancer. You can treat it where it is but it will come back somewhere else. If you are wanting some information, www.cancer.org is a excellent website to go to. I go there to look things up that my fathers oncologist has talked about.

    uh-uh
    That is not necessarily correct. I had sclc-limited stage and was declared 'cured'. Some may have problems with the wording, but my doctor doubted very much it would hit again. I was scanned before treatment and everything was clear. Their are others here that went through the same process with the same results. We are all about hope here; breaking the barriers.
    Every situation is different.
    Cheers!
    Medi
  • Ex_Rock_n_Roller
    Ex_Rock_n_Roller Member Posts: 281 Member
    #4
    Small cell outcomes and chemo
    I'm by no means an expert since I don't have small cell nor do I know anybody who has, but I agree that although the stats may be bleak, an individual is not bound by them. Good outcomes happen.

    Unless her doctors are unlike any I've talked to, I doubt they're giving her false hope. I was staged NSCLC IIIb, in excellent physical shape, with a very small volume of disease, and the strongest my oncodoc would get is, "We're going at this with curative intent."

    Chemo definitely does kill cells you need along with the ones you want to destroy, but the principle is that the good cells rebound faster. It's a tradeoff you take in pursuit of fighting it, if that's your decision. The folks who make the big dollars know how to keep track of the various levels and time things to best advantage.

    Hang in there!
  • linz1982
    linz1982 Member Posts: 18
    #5
    well my dads oncologist told
    well my dads oncologist told him that if he was small cell its uncurable but its probably different in other circumstances. im not trying to give false info. i am new to the cancer scene. i was just trying to help. Sorry for any confusion Nikjenks09.
  • deb_needhope
    deb_needhope Member Posts: 38
    #6
    linz1982 said:

    well my dads oncologist told
    well my dads oncologist told him that if he was small cell its uncurable but its probably different in other circumstances. im not trying to give false info. i am new to the cancer scene. i was just trying to help. Sorry for any confusion Nikjenks09.

    sclc - entensive or limited?
    My mother was diagnosed with SCLC-extensive. It had already spread to her lung, liver and brain when diagnosed. Although chemo does respond quickly to the tumors for SCLC (it did for her), from everything I've read and experienced, when it comes back, it's very aggressive.. My mother passed after 5 1/2 months after treatment with chemo and radiation. She was very active and healthy before diagnosis.. We never gave up hope as there are new clinical trials everyday. Her oncologists were wonderful and caring.. My advice is to research as much as you can. Ask alot of questions, keep positive. It's not easy.. Deb.
  • hope0310
    hope0310 Member Posts: 320
    #7
    deb_needhope said:

    sclc - entensive or limited?
    My mother was diagnosed with SCLC-extensive. It had already spread to her lung, liver and brain when diagnosed. Although chemo does respond quickly to the tumors for SCLC (it did for her), from everything I've read and experienced, when it comes back, it's very aggressive.. My mother passed after 5 1/2 months after treatment with chemo and radiation. She was very active and healthy before diagnosis.. We never gave up hope as there are new clinical trials everyday. Her oncologists were wonderful and caring.. My advice is to research as much as you can. Ask alot of questions, keep positive. It's not easy.. Deb.

    Saem situation
    as Deb for the most part.

    Bottom line is that we are all a statistic of ONE. Fight as hard as you can fight, never give up and wish for the best.....

    It is an aggressive cancer, it does respond well to chemo, but it is a mover. These are facts.

    My best to you and your mother...
    Elysia
  • beatlemike
    beatlemike Member Posts: 55 Member
    #8
    hope0310 said:

    Saem situation
    as Deb for the most part.

    Bottom line is that we are all a statistic of ONE. Fight as hard as you can fight, never give up and wish for the best.....

    It is an aggressive cancer, it does respond well to chemo, but it is a mover. These are facts.

    My best to you and your mother...
    Elysia

    From my understanding I
    From my understanding I agree with Medi. If caught in the limited stage and has not spread I dont know why it wouldnt be just the same as early stage non small. I do believe it is more aggressive and in many cases has surpassed the limited stage when dxed. I know there are many long term survivors of small cell.
  • angelyn
    angelyn Member Posts: 51
    #9
    beatlemike said:

    From my understanding I
    From my understanding I agree with Medi. If caught in the limited stage and has not spread I dont know why it wouldnt be just the same as early stage non small. I do believe it is more aggressive and in many cases has surpassed the limited stage when dxed. I know there are many long term survivors of small cell.

    small cell
    My mother has limited sclc. When we first went to the doctor he said he would treat it very aggressively to try to kill it all and cure her. Unfortunately after a year it is back in the same lung, so here we go again. I think it all depends on the person that has it if it goes away completely or goes away to come back another day. We figured that with it being limited that she had a great chance of it not coming back for years. Talk about disappointed!!! But we are not giving up. So my take on this is that it is not "cured" but maybe if you are lucky it goes into remission never to come back.
    Angie
  • lekkerone
    lekkerone Member Posts: 199 Member
    #10
    angelyn said:

    small cell
    My mother has limited sclc. When we first went to the doctor he said he would treat it very aggressively to try to kill it all and cure her. Unfortunately after a year it is back in the same lung, so here we go again. I think it all depends on the person that has it if it goes away completely or goes away to come back another day. We figured that with it being limited that she had a great chance of it not coming back for years. Talk about disappointed!!! But we are not giving up. So my take on this is that it is not "cured" but maybe if you are lucky it goes into remission never to come back.
    Angie

    Angie
    I am so sorry your mom's cancer came back. However, you have a great attitude and must be a great support for her. Keep hanging in there.
  • medi_2
    medi_2 Member Posts: 505 Member
    #11
    linz1982 said:

    well my dads oncologist told
    well my dads oncologist told him that if he was small cell its uncurable but its probably different in other circumstances. im not trying to give false info. i am new to the cancer scene. i was just trying to help. Sorry for any confusion Nikjenks09.

    Welcome!
    sorry! I didn't mean to harsh, I didn't think you were being evil. There are times that 'the bottom line' is really the bottom line; My oncologist was no jokester but he was practically dancing when he gave me my diagnosis,,,as was my radiation oncologist. I believe my optimism was a big part of all that. Anyway, I wish you all the best!
    Cheers!
    Medi

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