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Small Cell Lung Cancer


lpenn1116

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I have two members in my In Person LC Support Group who are 7+ and 8+ year Small Cell Lung Cancer Survivors and STILL are Cancer Free today and doing well.

One had Limited SCLC the other was Extensive SCLC.

I see no reason you can't be a long term SCLC Survivor either! :wink: Positive Attitude does help us through this journey! Keep on Keepin On!

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I am newly diagnosed sclc extensive, mets to liver, SVC symdrome, just finished third chemo, fourth is scheduled during Thanksgiving week, then scans, and then radiation. I no longer smoke and feel fantastic - just finished a two-hour walk/run this morning, and have had zero side effects from anything except hair loss. My scans (including PET) after second chemo showed an 85% reduction in tumor mass, and the liver mets are gone - so gone that my onc questions if they were even cancer (until I reminded him that's where the biopsy was from).

I have been monitoring this site for the last month or so because I didn't realize the password validation email was in my spam folder.

ConnieB, when you mention the long term survivors in your support group, can you tell us any more about them? How old are they? Did they have recurrances? Did anything unusual happen in the course of their treatments? Is there any chance you can give us more detail, or, get them to post here?

I'm asking because in all the long term survivors I can find, something unusual seems to have taken place in their treatment course, and usually it's been a fever. Coley's Treatment, if my thinking is correct. At a minimum their treatment protocols appear to have been very aggressive and their oncs really pushed the envelope. What do you think?

Thank you in advance for your insight, I appreciate it.

Also, while I am thinking of it, great thanks to RandyW, I have been studying the information posted, it is very, very helpful.

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Dear Starr13,

Welcome to LCSC. Regarding my friends, Janet and Melanie, Janet was 59 or 60 when she was dx.d with extensive small cell lung cancer. Her cancer had spread to her liver. She had VP-16 and Cisplatin for her chemo, I think she had 5 or 6 sessions back then, maybe it was 4. (for some reason that sticks in my mind). She did not have chest radiation but she did have PCI (Preventive Brain Radiation) 12 sessions. She went through her treatments with flying colors. :wink: She had no real major side effects to her treatments, and she herself will tell you that. She is just FINE today, and no cancer reccurances in anyway since she was first dx.d. She loves to shop and she's a go getter to this day. I might add that Janet after hearing she had SCLC told her doctor she was taking a cruse (they had it booked) and no way was she missing her cruse, so she did that and came back and started her chemo. (She'll tell you that was not a wise thing to do, but it all worked out for her). :roll::wink:

Melanie was 44 when she was dx.d with her small cell (limited). She too had VP-16 & Cisplatin for her chemo, she also had chest radiation treatments as well as PCI. No cancer recurrances either. She does however have radiation damage to her lungs, but she is still working full time in the school district and is doing just fine. She does have some shortness of breath, and bouts with bronchitis, and somewhat of a cough, but as she and all of us say, it's a small price to pay to be here. She did have some nauesa with her chemo & chest radiation treatments. She had 6 sessions of chemo and I can't remember how much chest radiation, I want to say, 28 or 30 sessions of chest radiation??? I'll ask her. She doesn't have a computer.

I remember meeting a lady back when we did our Lung Cancer Awareness Events at our State Capital that told me she was an 8 or 9 year SCLC Survivor and her cancer had come back 6 times and every time she beat it. She was in her late 50's early 60's and she looked remarkable. (At the time I met her, she was doing through chemo) She told us she didn't have a lot of difficulty with her treatments even though she did them over and over again. Although each time she did a treatment, it was a newer or different chemo. I have not seen this lady since, but she was an inspiration to Melanie and Janet.

I've not heard of fevers with any of my LC members during treatments, but then again, everyone is different while doing them. I believe some of our members here at LCSC have had problems with fevers. I'm not sure why that was though. I too had NO real major side effects with my treatments and they treated me very aggressive as well.(see profile below) They were also very aggressive with Janet and Mel when they went through there treatments, but remember this was 7+ years ago. ALOT of new chemo's they have today, were NOT available to us 7+ years ago.

Best wishes to you Starr13 and I hope these stories give you HOPE and the COURAGE to FIGHT.

I have seen people get knocked down to nothing after doing there chemo's and radaition treatments, and they pop right back and live normal (new norm) lives.

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Connie, thank you for taking the time to post the detail, I appreciate it. It helps round out my ability to visualize an actual survivor, especially of extensive sclc.

Are you able to say if either of them were smokers?

Have you heard of any other survivors of extensive? Everything I've read says it always comes back...and then the recurrance is the big problem. I am surprised to learn that it is possible to fight it five and six times; I thought that there was a second line, but then no third line, and, once you had the second line, there isn't anything else the doctors can offer (???).

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Thank you for your kind words of support and encouragement. You have all surely lifted my spirits. I have a Dr. Appt today to get the results of my last round of tests, keeping my fingers crossed.

I would like to participate in the forum is there anywhere to find out when they take place?

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thanks for the nice words. I am moderator for new trials and New treatment forums so I stay on top of things. Gotta go get my hair braided so that it will be crossed like my fingers for your Doctors appointment. Good luck and Prayers and let us know what great news they tell you today!!!!

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