Extenseive Stage Small Cell Lung Cancer.

Oakwood738

I have a Grandma who was diagnosed in September 2010 with small cell lung cancer and it was descibed to me as extensive stage. It had spread to the brain and she did Chemo and Radiation from about this time last year through late winter of this past year. SHe has been mostly fine since about March and seems very healthy. However, the doctor has told her the cancer will return and be fatal and she was given 4 to 6 months in the fall of 2010 which thankfully she has lived much longer then thought. When the cancer does return is it a long return where she slowly gets sicker or is it something where she is healthy one month and near death the next. I am just wondering for being ready when it does happen even though she is feeling very well right now.
Also, are there a fair number of cases where extensive stage small cell lung cancer goes away forever and one lives 10, 20 years more or is it always terminal absent several miracles the way ALS (Lou Gehrig's Disease) is never not terminal.

Radioactive34

I have no clue how to answer
I have no clue how to answer your questions. I would love answers myself. If you go in with her to see her oncologist ask them. If you think the questions would hurt your grandma take the doc aside and see if they will talk to you.

You could always research the information on the ACS website. It has links to some of the newer studies and can give you a better idea of the progression of the disease.

Sending prayers and hugs....

gdpawel

New way to halt small cell lung cancer
Small cell lung cancer (SCLC), a highly aggressive neuroendocrine subtype of lung cancer and frequently lethal, uses an embryonic signaling pathway to promote its growth. This signaling pathway is known as the Hedgehog (Hh) pathway, and its normal function is to regulate organ formation and regulate progenitor cells in embryos and in some adult tissues. I know someone who is on this clinical trial at Penn State Hershey Medical Center (and happens to be doing quite well). Here is some information on it. http://cancerfocus.org/forum/showthread.php?t=3516

Greg

Radioactive34

gdpawel said:

New way to halt small cell lung cancer
Small cell lung cancer (SCLC), a highly aggressive neuroendocrine subtype of lung cancer and frequently lethal, uses an embryonic signaling pathway to promote its growth. This signaling pathway is known as the Hedgehog (Hh) pathway, and its normal function is to regulate organ formation and regulate progenitor cells in embryos and in some adult tissues. I know someone who is on this clinical trial at Penn State Hershey Medical Center (and happens to be doing quite well). Here is some information on it. http://cancerfocus.org/forum/showthread.php?t=3516

Greg

I followed the link and read
I followed the link and read the posts. I was surprised that it was a 2007 post. When I was diagnosed earlier this year not a peep about this was mentioned by the docs. They just followed standard protocol for sclc.

I did not find this study. I was online for hours and hours trying to figure out which way to go with my treatments. Right now I am NED, but with an 80% reoccurrence rate, I am sweating the next year or two.

Right now I seem to fall into a gray area because the freaking cancer is considered rare so I can't say I qualify for most of the studies. Uggghhh....frustrating.