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Medical Forum / Diseases and Disorders / Cancer / April 2004newly diagnosed with small cell lung cancer
I was diagnosed a week ago with small cell lung cancer. My doctor believes it is in it's earlest stages and has not spread making it operable. He wants to remove the bottom lobe from my right lung. What can I expect as far as recovery, side effects, etc? I realize probably need this surgery but I feel fine, they found my tumor because I contracted pneumonia a few months ago and they found it on a follow up exam. Makes this kind of sureal, letting someone cut me open and remove part of my lung when I feel fine. Any advise or imput kindly appreciated. Thanks in advance, Scott > I was diagnosed a week ago with small cell lung cancer. My doctor > believes it is in it's earlest stages and has not spread making it [quoted text clipped - 6 lines] > appreciated. > Thanks in advance, Scott Standard management of limited stage small cell lung cancer is usually radiotherapy plus chemotherapy. I would get an oncologist opinion before surgery > > I was diagnosed a week ago with small cell lung cancer. My doctor > > believes it is in it's earlest stages and has not spread making it [quoted text clipped - 10 lines] > radiotherapy plus chemotherapy. > I would get an oncologist opinion before surgery Steph, we haven't covered the "why" for a while. Could you please explain (for the OP and other readers) ? Thanks J > > > I was diagnosed a week ago with small cell lung cancer. My doctor > > > believes it is in it's earlest stages and has not spread making it [quoted text clipped - 15 lines] > Thanks > J Because most patients who die from small cell lung cancer die because of metastatic disease, not local progression. So if someone has surgery, they still generally need chemo and maybe radiotherapy. Local control rates with chemo/RT are excellent, so why have a thoracotomy? > I was diagnosed a week ago with small cell lung cancer. My doctor > believes it is in it's earlest stages and has not spread making it [quoted text clipped - 6 lines] > appreciated. > Thanks in advance, Scott Hello Scott and welcome to alt.support.cancer. I'm sorry to hear about your diagnosis. According to the NCI http://www.cancer.gov/cancerinfo/pdq/treatment/small-cell-lung/patient/ "For most patients with small cell lung cancer, current treatments do not cure the cancer." Do talk to an oncologist about the typical behaviour of small cell lung cancer. It might make a difference in what you choose for treatment. Do you have family and/or friends to help you through these difficult times? Please keep in touch on a regular basis. We'll be here as best we can for you. There's also another resource, the ACOR private mail lists. http://www.acor.org/ Under "L", there's 133 current subscribers for SCLC. Best, J I'm being treated at the Siteman Cancer Center in St. Louis, MO. so I think I have a doctor that knows what he's doing. Just looking for input from people who have been through lung surgery. The only reason surgery is an option is because my cancer is in it's very earliest stages, otherwise it would be chemo and radiation treatment. Scott, I have SCLC, and in seaching the literature when I was at your stage, I found that surgery was done only at the VERY early, when the tumor is very small. Mine was much larger, and I was treated with Radiation and Chemo. I had my last chemo in Oct. When I went back for my 10 week scan they found some brain mets. More radiation took care of this, and the hair on my head. I get CT and MRI scans next week for the first followup since brain radiation. I had 37 chest radiation treatments, and 6 chemo rounds the first time, and 13 brain radiation treatments last Jan. By all means get another opinion, but hurry. SCLC is a very fast growing cancer. It can double it's size in a month. Did he want to remove your lung because of the tumor, or for some other reasion? If it was just the tumor, I'd try the non surgical road. It ain't fun, but it's doable. Bob |
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