Small Cell Lung Cancer: Let's connect

Posted by Merry, Alumni Mentor @merpreb, Jan 12, 2019

Most of the discussions about lung cancer has been about Non-small cell lung cancers. There are many sub-types of this that are included. But there is another type of lung cancer that needs to be discussed and that is Small Cell Lung Cancer. This aggressive form of lung cancer most commonly occurs in smokers. It usually starts in the breathing tubes (bronchi) and grows very quickly, creating large tumors and spreading (metastasizing) throughout the body.
Symptoms include bloody phlegm, cough, chest pain, and shortness of breath.
Treatment includes surgery (for small tumors) as well as chemotherapy, sometimes in combination with radiation therapy.
Lung cancers cells are sometimes classified by where they tend to grow.
There have been huge breakthroughs in lung cancer research of late.
Please join @margot69 and I in this new disussion.

Interested in more discussions like this? Go to the Lung Cancer Support Group.

@margot69 - I agree about finding out why your weren't believed and treated earlier.

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@margot69

I am in a private e-mail with a few friends and they are not happy about the way this has been handled or, shoukd Insay, not handled. I feel like a fish flopping around in a sinking boat. One would think they would have a Patient Advocate to help. One woukd think the Doctor woukd sit down with you, explain what you have, possible treatments, suggestions where to go. Not Sutter Gould. Just send the patient a message she has a terminal illness and needs treatment ASAP. My PCP will be hearing from me, again.
Yes, that commute can be a bitch as you never know how traffic will be. I was a hour late for a GI appt over at Stanford one day. Get to the office and was told I could not be seen. I was so upset and said I was going to file a complaint. Took us about 3 hours to get there. We left and my cell rings and Tgey are telling me the doctor would see me. We were almost out of town but turned around.

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Hi @margot69, I might recommend that you contact Stanford's office of Patient Relations https://stanfordhealthcare.org/for-patients-visitors/your-hospital-stay/patient-relations.html "Patient Relations provide resolution for any concern or issue patients and family members may have with their care experience."

It may be worth a try to help future appointments and communications.

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@colleenyoung

Hi @margot69, I might recommend that you contact Stanford's office of Patient Relations https://stanfordhealthcare.org/for-patients-visitors/your-hospital-stay/patient-relations.html "Patient Relations provide resolution for any concern or issue patients and family members may have with their care experience."

It may be worth a try to help future appointments and communications.

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Thank you, Colleen. I may give them a call tomorrow. I have read great reviews about the care at their Cancer Center. I am hoping they call soon.

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@merpreb

@margot69 - I agree about finding out why your weren't believed and treated earlier.

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Merry, they could care less is the impression I am getting. Now, all of a sudden, my Pulmonologist has this sense of urgency that I get treated. If you smoke, any health issue you have is going to be blamed on smoking and I am not the only one that has experienced this. I have lost two friends to lung cancer in less then two years. One was a smoker and one quit over 30 years ago. Both were complaining of coughs and went misdiagnosed as smoker's cough, bronchitis, pneumonia. No CT scans were done early. I fully intend to write Sutter Gould about this.

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@margot69

Happy you have joined, lady. I am Stage IV now with nodes and spots on my liver. Brain MRI was clear, so far. If the doctors had listened to me for months, maybe this would have been caught sooner. I haven't even seen an Oncologist yet! Praying we can all beat it. Were you sick from the treatments and where were you treated? Since this is a Mayo discussion board, I assume there.

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I have been thinking of You & hoping that you see an oncologist soon. The chemo I took was a combination of carboplatin/etoposide. Never felt nausea at all.

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@margot69

Merry, they could care less is the impression I am getting. Now, all of a sudden, my Pulmonologist has this sense of urgency that I get treated. If you smoke, any health issue you have is going to be blamed on smoking and I am not the only one that has experienced this. I have lost two friends to lung cancer in less then two years. One was a smoker and one quit over 30 years ago. Both were complaining of coughs and went misdiagnosed as smoker's cough, bronchitis, pneumonia. No CT scans were done early. I fully intend to write Sutter Gould about this.

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@margot69- How are things going? What is your status now with going forward?

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Good Monday morning. Actually, Stanford called this morning to set up an appt. I asked if I coukd see Dr. Wakelee but she was booked out. Asked to see Dr. Padda, who treated a friend, and they booked an appt this Thursday. A while later, they called back and said Wakelee had an opening Thursday at 3:30, nit the best time for us for a long commute but I took it! Asked the scheduler who was the better doctor to se and was told both are good but definitely Wakelee. Actually, here is a video from Stanford and sge is one of the speakers, if it is ok if I post it here. https://stanfordhealthcare.org/medical-conditions/cancer/lung-cancer/about-this-condition/types.html/presentation-mode/stanford-health-now/videos/lung-cancer-webcast-2014

Scared to make this journey. Thanks for asking. As I have told very few people, nice to have the support.

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@merpreb

@margot69- How are things going? What is your status now with going forward?

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He Merry,
Just posted I have an appt at Stanford this Thursday. I am having this right shoulder blade pain that just won't go away. Went to ER last Friday with this and back pain. Didn't really see anything. ER Dic said I have nodes on that side and maybe that was the problem.

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@margot69

Good Monday morning. Actually, Stanford called this morning to set up an appt. I asked if I coukd see Dr. Wakelee but she was booked out. Asked to see Dr. Padda, who treated a friend, and they booked an appt this Thursday. A while later, they called back and said Wakelee had an opening Thursday at 3:30, nit the best time for us for a long commute but I took it! Asked the scheduler who was the better doctor to se and was told both are good but definitely Wakelee. Actually, here is a video from Stanford and sge is one of the speakers, if it is ok if I post it here. https://stanfordhealthcare.org/medical-conditions/cancer/lung-cancer/about-this-condition/types.html/presentation-mode/stanford-health-now/videos/lung-cancer-webcast-2014

Scared to make this journey. Thanks for asking. As I have told very few people, nice to have the support.

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@margot69- I recommend everyone should watch this. It is a bit lengthy so bear with it. I am thrilled that you now have an appointment in just a couple of days. You can do this! And you are not alone in this journey. We are right along with you. I commute from southern RI to Boston, MA for my appointments and tests. It's worth it, if you can, to seek the best care possible.

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@margot69

He Merry,
Just posted I have an appt at Stanford this Thursday. I am having this right shoulder blade pain that just won't go away. Went to ER last Friday with this and back pain. Didn't really see anything. ER Dic said I have nodes on that side and maybe that was the problem.

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Margot- What tests did he do that saw the nodules near your shoulder blade?

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