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.

@lady1lake

Still taking things one day at a time. Just glad to be able to go onto next step to surviving SCLC!

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lady1lake- I'm pulling for you!

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@margot69

This gets more interesting. I am under the care of a local Onc. I did go to Stanford and saw Dr. Wakelee. She said she was going to present my case to the tumor board. I received this message from her yesterday.
,
We reviewed your case at our tumor board yesterday afternoon. We actually believe this is large cell neuroendocrine cancer instead of small cell neuroendocrine cancer. The treatment remains the same, but that explains why your cancer has been less aggressive than most small cell cancers. I would still support you getting the carboplatin/etoside and then considering potential radiation later if there are minimal sites of disease. I would NOT suggest the prophylactic brain radiation. The immune therapies (keytruda or opdivo) are options either way as we discussed, but the concern of worsening your underlying autoimmune disease are still there so we have to be careful. One can never predict time very accurately so remember the ranges we discussed. I hope all goes well.
Warm regards,

So, looks like a new diagnosis with really no new prognosis and this seems to be even a more rare type. Anyone heard of this? I have not had time to research.

I started my Chemo yesterday. By IV., first given Zofran with steroids then the Cisplatin then the Etopicide. Was there for about 5 hours. They just left the IV in. Went back today for the Zofran and Etopicide. I have been taking a Xanax before my appts. That only took a couple of hours. Was doing ok and had some lunch and lay diwn fir a bit. Now, I am not feeling so well and took a Tigan for nausea, no appetite for dinner. I have another treatment tomorrow then 3 weeks off. Only the second treatment and not feeling well. Anyone have tgese issues with this treatment? I have only just started.
Any feedback on her newest findings?
Thanks

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@margot- How wonderful that Dr. Wakelee was so thorough! I had cisplatin and it wasn't pleasant. An oncologist nurse advised me to get an anti-nausea prescription and take it as soon as you get home from chemo, and to take it round the clock for a few days. See what your Oncologist will give you!
Fatigue is one of the most common side effects of chemotherapy. Just go with it, Do what you can and don't do what you can't. Ask for help if you need it. Warm hugs! If you go to the Neuroendocrine cancer group please come backa nd visit and keep me up to date on how you are doing! Warm hugs

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@merpreb

lady1lake- I'm pulling for you!

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Thank you Merry. I have to admit that I am nervous about whole brain radiation toxicity. I lost 2 teeth during last chemo/radiation & one of the possible side effects of WBR is tooth decay.

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@merpreb

@margot- How wonderful that Dr. Wakelee was so thorough! I had cisplatin and it wasn't pleasant. An oncologist nurse advised me to get an anti-nausea prescription and take it as soon as you get home from chemo, and to take it round the clock for a few days. See what your Oncologist will give you!
Fatigue is one of the most common side effects of chemotherapy. Just go with it, Do what you can and don't do what you can't. Ask for help if you need it. Warm hugs! If you go to the Neuroendocrine cancer group please come backa nd visit and keep me up to date on how you are doing! Warm hugs

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Sorry, it is Carboplatin and Etoside. They are giving me IV Zofran before each treatment. I have the pills at home too but can only take every 6 hours. I took a Tigan yesterday, older med for nausea I have used for some time for my stomach issues. Skipped dinner. I think I feel worse since I started this, not feeling well this morning. Haven't checked the other group yet.

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@margot69

Sorry, it is Carboplatin and Etoside. They are giving me IV Zofran before each treatment. I have the pills at home too but can only take every 6 hours. I took a Tigan yesterday, older med for nausea I have used for some time for my stomach issues. Skipped dinner. I think I feel worse since I started this, not feeling well this morning. Haven't checked the other group yet.

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@margot69 -I'd also like to include @bleulagoon, @lady1lake in this discussion because they have both had chemo. Hang in there! Chemo can make you feel ill for sure. If you are still nauseous than contact your doctor or infusion nurse.
here are some ideas for you. https://www.mayoclinic.org/tests-procedures/chemotherapy/in-depth/cancer/art-20047517

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@merpreb

@margot69 -I'd also like to include @bleulagoon, @lady1lake in this discussion because they have both had chemo. Hang in there! Chemo can make you feel ill for sure. If you are still nauseous than contact your doctor or infusion nurse.
here are some ideas for you. https://www.mayoclinic.org/tests-procedures/chemotherapy/in-depth/cancer/art-20047517

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The chemo did not make me nauseous but did give me dry mouth & bad taste. My appetite was not good at all so I drank chocolate flavored Premier protein drinks & creamy soups. I lost 25 lbs & that was not a bad thing because I was getting over weight with aging. Now have a good appetite & trying to maintain present weight.

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@lady1lake

The chemo did not make me nauseous but did give me dry mouth & bad taste. My appetite was not good at all so I drank chocolate flavored Premier protein drinks & creamy soups. I lost 25 lbs & that was not a bad thing because I was getting over weight with aging. Now have a good appetite & trying to maintain present weight.

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Dry mouth and throat are my enemies as I have suffered from that for years and had to have thousands of $$$ in dental work done. Yes, feel drier and like I have a mouth and throat full of glue and I know the Zofran isn't helping. I switched to trying just the Tigan and it is not as bad. I constantly have to drink something, chew Act gum, use Biotene soray, etc. Actually, yesterday, I felt somewhat better but maybe did too much. Went for my blood work and decided to go to a wig salon here in town. Had intended to just look but I did buy a wig. My husband was very patient thru the whole thing, shocking. LOL! I then got a Big Mac and ate the whole thing. Most I had eaten in days. I have lost about 8 lbs but starting out with a few extra to spare. Now, to address constipation probkems which sent me to Stanford some years ago.

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@margot69

Dry mouth and throat are my enemies as I have suffered from that for years and had to have thousands of $$$ in dental work done. Yes, feel drier and like I have a mouth and throat full of glue and I know the Zofran isn't helping. I switched to trying just the Tigan and it is not as bad. I constantly have to drink something, chew Act gum, use Biotene soray, etc. Actually, yesterday, I felt somewhat better but maybe did too much. Went for my blood work and decided to go to a wig salon here in town. Had intended to just look but I did buy a wig. My husband was very patient thru the whole thing, shocking. LOL! I then got a Big Mac and ate the whole thing. Most I had eaten in days. I have lost about 8 lbs but starting out with a few extra to spare. Now, to address constipation probkems which sent me to Stanford some years ago.

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Constipation was a constant problem while I was on chemo. Senokot worked!

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Have stage IV lung that spread to lymph nodes. A question has anyone on here had gastric bypass. My stomach does not digest the pills. Now on 2 chemo and Keytruda. One more infusion will do scan to see if working.

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@doughy42

Have stage IV lung that spread to lymph nodes. A question has anyone on here had gastric bypass. My stomach does not digest the pills. Now on 2 chemo and Keytruda. One more infusion will do scan to see if working.

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Hi @doughy42, welcome to Connect. I'm not sure if we have a member in the lung cancer group who has had gastric bypass surgery.

Doughy, Do you have small cell lung cancer or non-small cell lung cancer? When is your next infusion?

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