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 | @lady1lake | Jan 12, 2019

In reply to @merpreb "@ladylake- I was trying to think of your name and couldn't! welcome" + (show)

I look forward to reading comments from others who have SCLC. The aggressiveness of it is scary, but so far the scans show that it has dimished & has not metastasized. My oncologist & radiologist will monitor my situation long term since there is no cure (so far).

Merry, Alumni Mentor | @merpreb | Jan 12, 2019

@ladylake- I was trying to think of your name and couldn't! welcome

lady1lake | @lady1lake | Jan 12, 2019

Even though I have been posting on another segment of this forum I would like to join in here since I have SCLC, stage 3b. I finished chemo/radiation at the end of Oct. I tire easily, but am able to manage light daily task. Thank goodness my sweet husband is keeping things running smoothly. I beat breast cancer & a recurrence years ago. Hoping & praying to beat this cancer too.

margot69 | @margot69 | Jan 12, 2019

Thank you for starting this discussion, Merry. I was just diagnosed with SCLC. A PET scan showed a spot in my left lung, nodes and 3 spots on my liver. A liver biopsy confirmed the diagnosis. If you smoke or not, if you ever smoked, if you worked in an industry tgat coukd cause lung issues, if you are over a certain age, insist on at least a low dose CT!! I had a cough for months doctors just attributed to smoking. This was not a smoker's cough. My doctors were unfamiliar with LDCT and none available in my area. I knew of this because my cousin's doctor, in NC, has had her do them for 3 years. I kept after my Pulmonologist who would just respond to quit smoking. Finally, he says, "I will order a CT, if it will make you feel better, but it probably won't show anything." Had the test and get a call to call his office ASAP! By now, this had been going on for about 4 months! So, now I am in the nightmare of urgency. He tells me to start treatment or I am going to die. I can't even get into see an Oncologist here until next week. I called Stanford and will get a call back in 2-4 days. I would like to know if anyone has been treated at Stanford. Any feedback would be greatly appreciated!