Hello. I am new here...

[Therese]

My name is Therese, and my SO, Larry, was diagnosed with extensive small cell lung carcinoma with metastasis to his liver. 

We are both former smokers (who quit ten years ago) and have lung screening CTs annually. A nodule had developed in his right lung. The radiologist believed it was malignant, so we scheduled an oncologist appointment. Before the appointment, I started reading about lung cancer. I read an explanation of the differences in types of lung cancer. When I learned that only 15% of lung cancers were small cell carcinomas, I did not bother reading about it. I decided if he had to have lung cancer, it couldn't be small cell. Magical thinking got me nowhere.  

Larry has completed the second of four rounds of chemotherapy/immunotherapy at Johns Hopkins in Baltimore. He had a CT scan today, and the tumors have been reduced in size by more than half. Monday begins round three.

I am happy to have found Lungevity and look forward to spending time here.

[Ginny22]

Hi Therese,

Welcome to Lungevity. I’m sorry to hear about Larry’s diagnosis. But that’s great news about the chemo working! I’ve read here that every good scan deserves celebrating! 😊

My mom was diagnosed in May and while she’s Nsclc, it’s a rare subtype that I also skipped over when first reading up. So when tests came back it felt like it was back to the drawing board.

Best wishes and support to you and Larry, I hope the good news from his recent scan continues to roll in! 😊

[Tom Galli]

Therese,

I'll add my welcome to Ginny's. I'm a 20-year survivor of NSCLC and had 4 recurrences after supposedly curative surgery. Three of these were treated with chemotherapy (old school Taxol and Carboplatin) and the last and most successful treatment for me was precision radiation in the form of Cyberknife. This treatment did the trick.

I suggest that Larry have a consultation with a radiation oncologist at Hopkins. This discipline uses precision radiation to zap tumors rather than attack tumors with drugs in the blood stream. Both disciplines are effective, but you'd be surprised at the number of lung cancer patients who never see a radiation oncologist. Moreover, radiation oncologists are getting very aggressive these days, often treating multifocal (more than 1 tumor in different places) with precision radiation. Here is some information on radiation therapy as a treatment method for lung cancer. Hopkins is a great hospital.

Stay the course.

Tom

 

[Pstar]

Hello Therese and welcome to lungevity. So sorry to hear that Larry has SCLC but it sounds like he is responding quite well to his treatment. I also have SCLC and am holding stable at the present time. Wishing him continued good outcome with his treatment.

[edivebuddy]

So Sorry you guy you guys are going through this.  This last year has seen a lot of progress in treatments for  Small Cell Lung Cancer.  I do know long term survivors so do not give up hope! 

 

 

 

 

 

[Livin Life]

Glad you found this site, Therese!  Indeed there are long-term survivors of small cell.... Sure hoping Larry continues responding as well as he has.  I like Tom's idea of meeting with a radiation oncologist too!

[Therese]

Thank you to all of you for your warm welcomes and encouraging words. I will look into the information on radiation oncologists and how they treat SCLC.  On this particular website (Lungevity) I have noticed a lot of hope and positive attitudes, even when it is so difficult to feel this way.