stroder

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

steph

Standard management of limited stage small cell lung cancer is usually
radiotherapy plus chemotherapy.
I would get an oncologist opinion before surgery

j

Steph, we haven't covered the "why" for a while.
Could you please explain (for the OP and other readers) ?
Thanks
J

j

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

stroder

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.

steph

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?

bob & barb

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