Looks like a re-acurrance

[Guest Guy C]

Hello my name is Guy and I am just repeating here what I said on the introduction thread so I appoligize if its redundant.

I am here for support as my fiancee Debbie has SCLC. She was diagnosed back in late March. The desease was extended to the pancreous region and adrenal gland. She also had brain mets. She first went for 10 treatments of WBR and then completed a 6 round regimin of Etoposide & Carboplatin. Upon completion her head was clear and everything else had significantly shrunk. This was in early-middle August.

About two to three weeks later she was back because a lypmph node popped out on her collar bone. The oncologist waited and checked her 3 weeks later and because it hadnt grown chose to wait again. He said he wanted to giver her body a rest and so forth. It appears it reacurred or the previous regimin didnt do as good as we had hoped. This is very discoraging to her and myself as well. She goes back Monday for further evaluation and as it seems the node has grown some and she will have to go for further chemo using Topotecan.

I am having a real diffucult time with this as with SCLC, a re-acurrance is never a good thing. She is terrified and having a tuff time dealing with all of this. We have a 2 year old as well as two other children living with us and its hearbreaking. Does anyone know how well the Topotecan works? She seemed to respond to the 1rst chemo drugs well except for the node.

I also found a couple of clinical trials at Dana Ferber that she could go for and we will be showing her oncologist these on Monday.

Thanks in advance

Guy

[Cindy RN]

I will try to write more later-I have had a relapse one time in 2003.

Read below to see my treatments-

Have Faith,

Cindy

[Guest Guy C]

Thanks so much Cindy

I look foward to hearing from you

Guy

[Larry]

Guy my wife was on topetecan and in her case it did not help. But there are other's it has helped, good luck and do not quit fighting....

[thrashej]

Topotecan is a second line treatment, as I understand. They use it when the first line of chemo was unsuccessful. My father had it after the first round shrunk most of his tumors but did not touch a tumor in his lungs. It kept growing despite. He died a few months later.

One thing this website has done for me though is it has shown me how people with this disease DO survive...even those with extensive stage SCLC. Don't give up hope!!! My father gave up hope way too soon. The disease has a poor prognosis, but THERE ARE survivors!

Hoping and praying for the best!!