Hi,

I don't really know what to write about myself. I'm here because I'm looking for some insight into what my family is about to go through.

My mom (53) was just diagnosed with small cell lung cancer. I assume the introduction section of the board is not the place to go into details about this, so I will refrain until I have ventured over to the correct section.

I'm in a shock, I think. From manic tears to manic research (which has proven to be no good for optimism).

Sorry, I'm not entirely sure what to say.
AC.

That's a great start. I'm on the West Coast so tend to see posts later than most. I'm sure you'll get more of a welcome in the morning when the East Coasters wake up.

Getting a comprehensive diagnosis and a plan for your Mom will help a lot. The unknowing is very difficult. Take care of yourself - you'll be of more help to your Mom if you are in good shape physically and emotionally. And let us know what questions you have.

_________________
(photo: me in '61)
Female never smoked, 52 at diagnosis, otherwise healthy
09/08: false cardiac event = finding of 3 cm tumor upper right lobe plus two .5 cm nodes elsewhere on chest x-ray at ER
09/08: CTScan with IV contrast confirms.
10/08: Pulmonary referral for EBUS - bronchoscopy - confirms NSCLC - adenocarcinoma, with bronchoalveolar features
10/08: PetScan - further confirmation, classified T1N0MX (false negative) VATS scheduled.
11/08: full open surgery - revised to T4N2MX with positive spread to 2 lymph nodes, removed upper lobe with 3 cm tumor and partial mid lobe with (1) .5 cm tumor, 3 lymph nodes on trachea - 1 lymph node and margins negative.
5 night hospital stay.
12/08: Port-a-cath implanted
12/08: Brain MRI and hearing test - good other than minor high end loss in left ear
12/08: start (4) 21 day cycles of chemo - day 1 cisplatin and gemcitabine, day 8 gemcitabine alone, day 15 off - tolerated it pretty well - a little hair thinning and follicle inflammation, some ringing in ears and vertigo, much fatigue, and nausea. Kept my taste-buds almost intact.
02/27/09: completed 4 cycles of chemo!
03/03/09: removed port-a-cath
03/27/09: tattooed for radiation
03/30/09: start radiation (IMRT) 5x/wk for 6 weeks - fatigue, moderate esophagitis
5/08/09: completed treatment
6/22/09: NED
9/18/09: Recurrance in the liver and scattered in lungs. No symptoms. Rx Tarceva.
9/25/09: start Tarceva
11/20/09: clear lungs, shrinkage in liver.
2/24/10: still good on Tarceva
6/3/10: graduated to 6 month scan
12/9/10: new 6 cm tumor in liver
12/28/10: stop Tarceva
1/10/11: carbo/alimta/avastin
3/11/11: scan after 3 cycles 72%ish met reduction, stay the course
5/26/11: scan after 6 cycles, stable.
5/31/11: begin Avastin maintenance.
8/17/11: met growth, stop Avastin. Start Alimta.
10/25/11: met growth, stop Alimta. Wondering what to do next?
1/24/11: start hospice

Hi you!

Can you give us details on her dx and what the doctors recommend for treatment? If they have a specific chemo regime, let us know what that is.

We will be here for you once we know the details. We've been through the gamut of treatments, so let us know the details and we can begin to give advice and help.

It does not matter which forum you post in, we'll find you and try to help. Just know that we care and will do all we can to help you through this.

Cancer is a word, not a sentence, and we'll help you wade through this.

Judy in MI

_________________
6/07 DX NSCLC, Left Upper Lobe wedge resection: Stage 2.3/4, (2B?) Adenocarcinoma, measures 2.5x1.5x1.1cm. Involving visceral pleura but not through it. 5 rounds chemo, carboplatin and Taxol. Subsequent scans NED.

1/11 3.5 mm node found. 10/11 CT node now 8 mm, and new 6 mm node. 11/11 CT Pet shows slight uptake. 1/4/12 Biopsy - Pneumothorax complication. 1/14/12 Lobectomy of upper rt. lobe. NSCLC Adenocarcinoma in situ, nonmucinous (bronchioloalveolar carcinoma) 1.4cm involves pulmonary parenchyma.
3/14/12 Begin 4 cycles of Cisplatin/Navelbein, with Neulasta shot
4/6/12 Chemo changed to Carboplatin/Navelbine without Neulasta shot. Reduced chemo by 50% due to intolerance.
7/5/12 CT scan is clean, NED for lung cancer! There are issues with liver and stomach that will be investigated but not believed to be because of cancer. Wait and see!

*Avatar was taken 7/3/12 on our way out to see the Fireworks on a friends boat on their lake!

Mom dx SCLC 1/96, passed 10/19/96, age 62
Dad dx Brain cancer 4/87, passed 6/87, age 57
Sister dx Brain cancer 4/83, passed 12/83, age 25

SCLC responds well to chemo therapy. I have several friends from out local support group that are doing fine for over 10 yrs. They also have preventative brain radiation. How far advanced was your Moms cancer when it was diagnosed? Has it spread anywhere, In bothe lungs ?
Keep us posted. Great people here to help with info and support

Glad you found us.

Donna G

Woops just found another post of yours. Only in one lung and a few local lymph nodes, Chemo and radiation scheduled. Great plan as you describe!

_________________
NSCLC, 4 cm Pancoast tumor, diag. 12/3/97 Cisplatin and VP 16, Radiation, R upper lobectomy, more Cisplatin and VP 16. Celebrating 16 yrs of survival ! Click here and read MY STORY

http://lungevity.org/l_community/viewtopic.php?f47&t=9092

Just sending you a welcome. I'll go to your other post now. Sorry you have a reason to be here, but this is the best place to be if you are walking this walk.

Keep posting. We are here for you.

_________________
- Katie Brown, Co-Founder and Director of LCSC-

15 yr cancer survivor.

"Any of us who have experienced the cancer journey- and survived it-
have an obligation to make the path clearer and aid those that come after us."
- Lance Armstrong

In memory of Jessee Dewey, SCLC
December 29, 1938 - September 6, 2003
Lisa Dewey- Jan. 22, 2007
my parents are together in heaven


facebook www.facebook.com/lungevity

Hello and welcome. There are a few of us SCLC patients on this website that are at different stages of treatment. Please, feel free to post, ask questions, vent. It has really helped me!

Karen

_________________
2/8/11 Upper respiratory infection just like all my co workers.
2/16/11 Saw PCP and reported just not getting better, also had a weird "click" at the end of each inspiration.
2/27/11 Developed extreme pain in lower back, bilateral hips, and bilateral knees.
3/2/11 Went back to PCP and reported pain. She ordered xrays of back etc. I asked for CXR. Found upper right lobe collapsed. Doctor ordered CT chest. Dx with SCLC, extensive with mets through out boney thorax and brain.
3/3/11 Bronch confirms diagnosis. Chemo started with cistplatin and etoposide.
3/9/11 Discharged from hospital wondering "what the heck just happened?"
4/18/11- Scans to evaluate first 2 rounds of chemo. Good news! All tumors have shrunk or are no longer measurable! Continue with chemo regime. Next scans due May 31.
5/31/11 -Scans look good except brain mets slightly increased. Will start WBR.
6/9-6/28/11 -WBR. Back working full time.
7/11/11 -CT shows mild progression right upper lung.
8/1/11- CT shows right bronchus occluded again but no sign of tumor around it.
8/3/11- Started 2nd line chemo. Topotecan/Taxol. 3 days of infusions every 21 days. Had 2 rounds. Didn't work.
9/2011 admitted with potassium dangerously low! Decided to move home to IN so that my family can more easily help me with day to day living. Have new oncologist and am very happy with him! I can't help but feel that I have not been followed very closely, and that's a scarey feeling.
9/16/11 Started Gemcitabine weekly for 3 weeks, 1 week off.

Hi and welcome to the place where no one wants to be but offers so much comfort and support. From what we know so far, your mother has every reason to be optomistic. So many of us are living life pretty darn well after years of treatment. Like Katie, I'll go visit your other post now.

Take care and have hope.

Judy in KW

_________________
Cytology report on fluid removed from lung after pleural effusion and pneumonia Sep 07 showed adenocarcinoma cells. Dx IIIb NSCLC Oct '07 at MDACC, Orlando. Fol 6 rounds Taxol/Carboplatin/Avastin and 2 Avastin, CT/PET 4/1/08 pleural thickening gone and no active cancer cells. 11/3/08 STILL NEVD. CT/PET/MRI 5/4/09 Cancer back, still in the pleura and chest wall, small amt of fluid, all in left lung.
5/11/09 Start on Alimta every three weeks.
7/13/10 Had Alimta on road in Corning NY.
8/24/09 Scans show some improvement. Continue on Alimta.
9/14/09 Chemo on road in Mt Holly NJ.
10/6/09 Started regular Alimta infusions in Key West.
11/3/09 CT and PET scans showed significant improvement. Some issues already resolved.
2/3/2010 No evidence of residual or recurrent disease. NED! Stay on Alimta.
5/6/10 Am considering myself still NED until/unless proven otherwise in July. Rabid radiologist thinks he sees something suggestive of similar to some abdominal cancer. No light up on the PET. Am hoping for the best. Stay on Alimta and scan in 9 wks instead of 3 mos.
7/8/10 Chest CT unchanged (NED Feb '10). Infiltration in the region of the omentum is probably slightly more prominent than before. Diverticulosis requiring antibiotics.
Jul, Aug, Sep, continued Alimta in Corning NY, Portsmouth OH and Mt Holly NJ.
10/14/10 Chest CT unchanged from Feb '10. Findings likely representing progressive nodular peritonal carcinomatosis in the midabdomen. Treatment changed to Tarceva started in Nov.
12/15/10 Chest CT unchanged. Abdomen changes compatible with peritoneal carcinomatosis again identified with mild progression noted.
3/16/11 CT chest unchanged. CT abdomen progression ascites (fluid). Progression of soft tissues nodularity on the peritoneal surface anteriorly with diffuse omental involvement.
4/13-15/11 Hospitalized at MDA. Removed 4 1/2 litres (8-9 lbs) of fluid from abdomen 4/14. Started on taxotere before release on 4/15.
5/16/11 Hospitalized for fever, neutropenic. Treated with intravenous antibiotic and antiviral. Given blood transfusion. Note that KW Cancer Center did not give me my Neulasta shot after my chemo on May 6. Onc had me cancel my 5/26 chemo until after my scan on Jun 6. Was discharged on oxygen. Test w/Dr Gerth 5/26 indicated I could go off sitting and sleeping O. Will do walking test 6/2.
6/2 Did not get requisite numbers on walking test. Left for Orlando 6/5 still on oxygen.
6/6/11 MRI normal; CT stable. Taxotere and Neulasta at MDA 6/7 and 6/8.
6/13/11 Appointment with Dr Olham in KW. Off oxygen week of 6/16.
8/8/11 CT scan showed stable with perhaps some lessening of fluid. Stay on Taxotere.
10/10/11 CT chest still clear, CT abdominal lining stable. Stay on taxotere.
12/19/11 CT chest clear, CT abdominal lining stable, MRI clear. Stay on taxotere.