small cell lung cancer stage 4

Thank you joobs, that's very kind of you. I have spoken with my mum and a trial has not yet been suggested so she will raise the question next week as to whether it might be an option. 

Great news to hear you've been stable, good luck with the scan and stay strong. 

I wish you and your family all the best 

Kindest regards 

Sian

Hi Lettuce,

Last year I went to a lecture by an eminent lung cancer surgeon.  It was incredibly interesting.  Basically he had compared groups of people who had had surgery and those that had had only chemo and/or radiotherapy and at the end of the day there was no difference in the two groups I.e.same mortality rate.  He had also done research on eating organically or not and again it made no difference.  I'm not sure quite what you mean by 'natural therapy', but if you mean cannabis oil etc all I can say is that if that worked the NHS would surely use it rather than the hugely expensive drugs they do use.  

All this is of course personal choice and one does hear of miracle cures - but for me I think miracles are few and far between!

I'm not being negative just that I have had-to date-3 years since diagnosis being treated by my brilliant Oncologist under the NHS- 3 years I'm pretty sure I wouldn't have had any other way.

Good luck with whatever you decide to do.

Lorna

Hi Lorna, Thanks for your reply I have no choice but to go down Chemo route at the moment...I have had 2 chemo's so far but this last one after the 3 rd day I could not eat and bearly drink, I felt really bad, in pain, washed out, shaky, headache, stomach ache...could not sleep was just  like a zombie....if someone would have offered to shoot me out my misery I would have gone there and then I felt terrible..................what can I do to get through those days better......I just cannot fancy anything...everything makes me feel sickly, thought of food, smell etc...drinking tap water seemed not to help either but was afraid I would not be drinking enough....is this normal...not sure I can cope with this chemo....I truly felt like I was dying....sorry to sound dramatic my partner said too he thought I would not make it through the night..tried taking anti sickness tablets but they make me sick!..I am in a lot of pain where my cancer is is that a good or bad sign......any thoughts anyone...?..............

Oh Lettuce how awful.  

I am sorry but I'm afraid that some Chemo and radio can do this and I certainly was very badly affected by my first round of Cisplatin and Vinoralbine.  Please do get in touch with your specialist lung nurses who can do much to alleviate some of the worse side effects.  

If you can persuade your doctor to give you Zofran melts for the sickness these bypass the stomach going straight into the bloodstream via the mouth, but they're awful expensive. Don't get constipated I went 3 weeks!  It was agony - use Laxido or Movicol as soon as you're out of your normal rhythm. I'm sure your doctor will prescribe Oramorph for your pain.  Drink loads of water, and I know it tastes foul but just do it. 

The whole thing is horrible, terrible and beyond description. But you must remember you are doing this to live and you must be strong.

I remember thinking it was a good day if I got out of bed and made it to the sofa.......

Sending very much sympathy and understanding and please just ask if I can be of any help at all.

Lorna x

Hi, Can you lease tell me how long ago you were diagnosed? 

Hello, 

My nannan has been diagnosed last August with stage IV small cell lung cancer that had spread to her liver and lymph glands. We never asked for a prognosis, but my uncle not knowing what he was looking for saw something about 12-18 months (probably saw the non-small cell prognosis instead). A week later she started her chemotherapy and tomorrow finished a round of radiotherapy. We were all quite happy until she went to see her consultant, who up to this point has been quite happy things are going well as the tumour in her liver had shrunk to a size so small it's not detectable and the one in her lung has shrunk from gold ball size to the size of a pea, but today when seeing him they asked about if need be having treatment around a cruise that my granddad has booked for all our family to go on as it's my nanas last wish is a big family cruise. This is in July, so 11 months from diagnosis. He basically told them she probably has less than 6 months, without actually telling her the prognosis, but after doing some digging I learnt that that grim prognosis is actually very realistic... 

So I have now spent the last 2 days in the same state I was when I found out. Constant tears, feeling like the worlds crashing down on us, all that sort of thing.

So I basically want opinions and story's from those in a very similar situation. Just to let you know she is 73 this year in April, so doesn't really have youth on her side.

Thanks

Alisha

Hi Lorna, sorry to hijack the thread but could you give me some info about the side effects of your chemo cocktail please? I’m due to start the same early March with an extra Vinorelbine the following week....be grateful to know what to look out for! Many thanks, Anne

Am sure it depends on factors such as age and fiitness etc Anniekins but my 31 year old son had very few side effects. As long as he took the anti sickness med's from the hospital with his chemo he was fine, continued with life as normal, daily excercises, healthy diet etc. Was only the radiotherapy after the chemo that made him very tired and a few side effects. We were surprised and relieved, chemo hardly effected him. Hope you will be the same x

That’s wonderful news about your Son being able to continue his normal life, incredible after all the horror stories we read! I too have a 31 year old Son and I’m 58 so might not be quite so fit as him ha ha but it’s sounding hopeful. 

All good wishes to him, thanks so much for the reply xx

Hi ladies. I was diagnosed 6th August 16 with extensive disease SCLC. I had 4 cycles of chemo. This did no effect me too much. I then had a trial for 8 months of immunotherapy.  After progression I had20 radiotherapy. Declared no evidence of disease 11th December 17.I have been on a cruise and at the moment am in Spain. My next scan will be beginning of March. Good luck to everyone xx