So we're half way through 6 cycles of Carboplatin and Etoposide for dad's extensive SCLC, had a scan on Friday and today was results day. Petrified is not the word! Dad also has a separate bowel cancer, which at the moment is not being treated. The lung cancer is the biggest threat to his life. Over the last 4-5 weeks he has been suffering with cramps and overflow diahorrea, generally feeling very tired, not being upright for more than 2 hours at a time, so we were fearing the worst.
The Onc said his scan results were encouraging. The lymph nodes in the centre of the chest are smaller and the cancer in the lung and the liver is much improved. He then mentioned the bone lesions. Now we know from his grading it is in the bone, but they have never directly told us. He said there is a improvements in the bone. I said where is it, he said everywhere. But they are lesions not tumors. He said they know he has bone spread, but the first scan didn't show up any tumors, so I guess they know from the blood results. Anyway he says where the cancer has been in the bone, it destroys it and the chemo kills the cancer leaving holes and then new bone has grown and that is what they can see on the scan, where the cancer was. So all in all, the chemo is working and everything is reducing which is great news.
The bowel tumor doesn't appear to have gotten worse, there is a moderate differentiation there which is a cancer at the end of the day, but it is not aggresive and doesn't appear to have broken through the bowel wall. There is no blockage there, but it is full so he recommended dad clear his diary for a few days (yea like it's full) and go crazy on laxatives to clear it. The pain and cramps is that rather than progression in the cancer. Blood tests were perfect.
So Thursday will be chemo number 4, he's reducing dad's dose of Etoposide by 20% as this is a big irritant on the bowel. He said if the scan was borderline he wouldn't reduce the dose but as it's positive, he is confident in his decision. He's going to give him steriods for a couple more days too as they give him a boost. I asked if he can have them every day and he said long term use of steriods can be detrimental in the future, so that is encouraging!
He's got an urgent referral to a dietician because he's lost a further 5lbs and really needs to start eating because he hasn't been at all. One roast potato is not a very good diet for a grown man is it!!
So all in all an excellent appointment, I'm so proud of dad for everything he is doing and his determination to keep on fighting. He even said he fancied a pint, only drank half before he was too tired, but he went in a public place (other than the hospital) if only for a few sips of lager....
