Wife has Extensive Small Cell Lung Cancer

bob1962
bob1962 Member Posts: 1
in Lung Cancer #1

My wife was dx with SCLC on Aug 14th 2014 was started on her first round of chemo on Aug 15th given over 3 days to help with her breathing tumor was closing off her left lung it seemed to work 1 week later we found out she had mets to spine she is now in  New Jersey visting her grandchildern due back to Texas on the 26th of Sep she has had no other treatment yet and is not getting her next round of chemo till she gets back about 6 weeks after last treatment we know it should be chemo every 3 weeks  has not had a P.E.T. scan yet so do not know where else it is. We are both retired nurses I'm trying to find support group in San Antonio for caregivers I will post when I know more

 

Thank You

Bob M 

Comments

  • elm3544
    elm3544 Member Posts: 748
    #2
    Hi Bob

    I hope she is doing OK. I was just in Ohio visiting a dear friend who was DX with stage 4 small cell lung cancer with mets to the brain, spine and liver. She has had 2 rounds of chemo, (each  round 3 days) and she has had rads on her head and spine. Now waiting for her next round of chemo. Dr said the tumors are shrinking. I am a 5 year BC survivor and my education on Cancer was limited to BC. I feel like what I went through can not possibly compare to what these brave men and women are enduring. Your wife is in my thoughts and in my heart. 

  • toniab2000
    toniab2000 Member Posts: 1
    edited March 2017 #3
    A little late, but still Need help

    My mom was DX in September 2016 with SCLC. We were also told that they didn't do stages for this, either limited or extensive. After all chemo treatments and going over PET and CT scans at Drs. office she told my mom that she had Stage 4. When we said we thought they didn't classify that way she said they don't really, but clinically, I guess she meant between the Drs. and other professionals, they would classify it that way. So take that for what you will. I think "mets" means metastasized. My moms was mainly in her lung and small amount on spine. After first PET scan they said it had not metastasized, but when I look the word up it says it means when cancer has spread to other sites in the body, and hers was in her spine, I don't really understand why they had that it had not metastasized. Mom is done with chemo, 3 days every 3 weeks, total of 6 treatments and will start 10 days of radiation next week to brain and lung. She has small amount of tumor left that we hope radiation will kill. Her oncologist told her at last meeting that she can never have chemo again. We don't know what is up with that as I have seen all over the internet that there is more radiation available for SCLC. Radiologist said there was second line chemo available. I guess we will cross that bridge when we get to it. We are looking for any hope to try and keep this at bay. Can anyone share any success they have had? Thanks.

  • jorola
    jorola Member Posts: 243 Member
    #4
    I think you really need to corner the oncologist and get some

    real answers. You are right - small cell is eitherlimited or extensive and treatment is very different for either stage. You are right about the meaning of mets too. If your mom has it elsewhere, it has metastasized - therefore she has mets. You need to make sure if she has small or non small.  Radiation is not normally offered to those with small cell as it has little effect but I do say normally. That may not always be the case. I would strong recommend you write down a list of all your questions (I used a scribbler so I never lost a page) and leave a LARGE space between each question to write down the dr's answer. This is of course if your mom is agreeable to you going to an appointment with her. Some dr's even allow you to record the appointment - SOME. Once you have those answers then I would encourage you to start your own post with specific questions and concerns to your mom's situation. I am sorry she and all of you are going through this. I know it is a hard journey. My hubby has squamous non small cancer stage 3b but has been NED (no evidence of disease) for 2 years now. It was a rough road to get there though. But as he had non small what I can offer is limited as the two are very different if your mom does have small cell. Still feel free to message me if you want. Are you holding up ok? A caregiver's job is tough and seeing your mom - a person all of us tend to see as almost invincible as children - sick is very hard.

    Peace and comfort to you all.

  • Chippy1962
    Chippy1962 Member Posts: 3
    #5
    Small cell lung can

    Hi guys, I was Dx with small cell lung cancer stage 4 in December this year and will be taking the last of just 4 chemo shots in the coming week which is palitive treatment only .  As you maybe aware in England we have a health system where by you contribute to through your earnings. I guess to some degree it's a blessing as you will get treatment what ever but we cannot choose you get what they tell you.  Ok so with being told I may have 4 to 9 mouths with out treatment sort of turns your world upside down. Once I'd calmed down I had a talk to my self and said right I can just take what they give go home ,mope around and go to bed and wait. 

    Or I can resource as much info as I can . So many alternative methods of treatment suggested out there it's unbelievable. However a few seem quite interesting . Healthy eating for a start has to be good ....period whatever .A lot of people seem to dismiss the fact that a simple food , substance etc can have much benefit. 

    This seems to me a dumb attitude as if you look back in history British sea fairing explorers were dropping like flies wit's a terrible decease ,namely scurvy which was found later to be a vitamin deficiency of vitamin c.

    Eatting Apricot seeds , poison?? Well I'm looking into doing these as we speak . Ok they contain a little  cyanide but so do a lot of plants we eat although in smaller quantities, most berries for a start. 

    Water contains Hydrogen but I'd don't think as far as I'm aware any one has blown up by drinking water. It's hard to know what to believe so much plausible things to do ,and some which seem silly . 

    One thing I am doing is taking a lot of curcumin , both in supplement and natural form of turamic . Here you have at least some evidence it could play an important role in helping some cancers . A spice from a country which happens to have one of the lowest rates of cancer in the world, India and are by the way mostly vegetarian within the population . Before my Dx I have had no pain , no systems and havent had a single painkiller at all ,except when I stubbed my toe on a flipping door frame ! 

    Good luck out thre . Never give up and beleive .  Research, learn and take action .

     

     

     

  • Chippy1962
    Chippy1962 Member Posts: 3
    edited April 2017 #6
    Small cell lung can

    Hi guys, I was Dx with small cell lung cancer stage 4 in December this year and will be taking the last of just 4 chemo shots in the coming week which is palitive treatment only .  As you maybe aware in England we have a health system where by you contribute to through your earnings. I guess to some degree it's a blessing as you will get treatment what ever but we cannot choose you get what they tell you.  Ok so with being told I may have 4 to 9 mouths with out treatment sort of turns your world upside down. Once I'd calmed down I had a talk to my self and said right I can just take what they give go home ,mope around and go to bed and wait. 

    Or I can resource as much info as I can . So many alternative methods of treatment suggested out there it's unbelievable. However a few seem quite interesting . Healthy eating for a start has to be good ....period whatever .A lot of people seem to dismiss the fact that a simple food , substance etc can have much benefit. 

    This seems to me a dumb attitude as if you look back in history British sea fairing explorers were dropping like flies wit's a terrible decease ,namely scurvy which was found later to be a vitamin deficiency of vitamin c.

    Eatting Apricot seeds , poison?? Well I'm looking into doing these as we speak . Ok they contain a little  cyanide but so do a lot of plants we eat although in smaller quantities, most berries for a start. 

    Water contains Hydrogen but I'd don't think as far as I'm aware any one has blown up by drinking water. It's hard to know what to believe so much plausible things to do ,and some which seem silly . 

    One thing I am doing is taking a lot of curcumin , both in supplement and natural form of turamic . Here you have at least some evidence it could play an important role in helping some cancers . A spice from a country which happens to have one of the lowest rates of cancer in the world, India and are by the way mostly vegetarian within the population . Before my Dx I have had no pain , no systems and havent had a single painkiller at all ,except when I stubbed my toe on a flipping door frame ! 

    Good luck out thre . Never give up and beleive .  Research, learn and take action .

     

     

     

  • Chippy1962
    Chippy1962 Member Posts: 3
    #7
    toniab2000 said:

    A little late, but still Need help

    My mom was DX in September 2016 with SCLC. We were also told that they didn't do stages for this, either limited or extensive. After all chemo treatments and going over PET and CT scans at Drs. office she told my mom that she had Stage 4. When we said we thought they didn't classify that way she said they don't really, but clinically, I guess she meant between the Drs. and other professionals, they would classify it that way. So take that for what you will. I think "mets" means metastasized. My moms was mainly in her lung and small amount on spine. After first PET scan they said it had not metastasized, but when I look the word up it says it means when cancer has spread to other sites in the body, and hers was in her spine, I don't really understand why they had that it had not metastasized. Mom is done with chemo, 3 days every 3 weeks, total of 6 treatments and will start 10 days of radiation next week to brain and lung. She has small amount of tumor left that we hope radiation will kill. Her oncologist told her at last meeting that she can never have chemo again. We don't know what is up with that as I have seen all over the internet that there is more radiation available for SCLC. Radiologist said there was second line chemo available. I guess we will cross that bridge when we get to it. We are looking for any hope to try and keep this at bay. Can anyone share any success they have had? Thanks.

    Radiation

    Hi I have a similar Dx , and story to here about your mum by the way . I have been told or I should say offered radiation to the brain too ,and oncologist said may to my liver as well as I've had nodules show there too.

    i understand they do the brain because SCLC because it  can easily go to the brain and hard to detect even with a scan . However I'm finding it a bit hard to make a decision weather to go with it ,as I simply think if it's not broken why fix it . A scan shows nothing on me but I was told that evidence is that it will improve survival time although not greatly.  So I see it as if I go ahead, will I be in any fit state to fight this in other ways.  I've personally been fine on the chemo given with no side effects at all ( have to be lucky in some thing )  A bit nervous today as getting results of a full body scan . . I know things in the states work slightly different than here in Britain but was wandering if your mum has been offered a chance of any trails ? As I've be offered maybe ( depending on results) a chance of some new immunotherapy drugs which has show to be promising . Trouble being to qualify here you have to have done all treatment offered so feel forced into radiation . 

    Any way ,with you all the best to you you and your mum , very hard times .

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