Small Cell AND Non-Small Cell LC at the same time?

[prairiecrow]

Hello, all:

I have a question... Today when my mom and I went for her chemo briefing, her entry in the diagnosis field of her treatment sheet read "Small Cell and Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer".

What does that mean, if anything, aside from the (pretty obvious) implication that she has both kinds at the same time? When her oncologist spoke to us last Saturday, she said that my mother had small cell LC, and mentioned nothing about non-small cell LC.

Any advice or input would be appreciated.

Thanks!

Laurie

[Andrea]

I know someone (not from LCSC) who had both at the same time also. I am not sure whta it means though in terms of treatment or anything. Sorry I can't be of more help.

[MEA]

Hi Laurie,

My husband was dx with both (one type in each lung) last October. We were told it was not common, but not unheard of....and in someways we were lucky as it meant one type of cancer had not spread from one lung to the other. My husband had radiation and chemo at the same time (the doc said as much as he could possibly give him without killing him with the treatments). He has been in remission since January 2006. He was really fatigued during the treatments, and had to have pain medicine as the radiation caused pain in the esphogous (sp?). He currently is being treated with steriods for radision pneumitis, but is leading a normal life. We even took a 12-day trip to Alaska in July to celebrate 25 years of marriage. We have the same aniexty as most others do around scan time...but we try to enjoy each day (it's God's gift to us).

Fight and Believe you can beat the odds!

Mary