Causes - 1262438

mrsreyes4365
Posts:5

Dr. West,

What causes Poorly Indifferentiated Neuro Endocrine Carcinoma Grade 3 small cell? Why does it spread so fast?

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Reply # - February 22, 2014, 07:44 PM

Dr West
Posts: 4735

The main cause of small cell lung cancer is tobacco-related mutations. The cancer cells often divide very quickly and have a biology that is associated with very early spread. The fact that it is poorly differentiated and grade 3 refers to the cells being very chaotic-appearing under a microscope and very genetically deranged. I can't really say more than that this is a defining characteristic of small cell lung cancer and that this is the biology of this kind of cancer. However, it is also often quite responsive to initial chemotherapy.

Good luck.

-Dr. West

Reply # - February 22, 2014, 07:57 PM

mrsreyes4365
Posts: 5

Thank you for your fast response. Unfortunately that was not the case with my father. My father's cancer was extremely aggressive and spread within a matter of 3-6 weeks. I am just trying to get a better understanding of this horrible cancer that took my father in a matter of weeks.

Reply # - February 23, 2014, 08:09 AM

mrsreyes4365
Posts: 5

My fathers cancer is said to have started in his colon, so would smoking still be the cause? If anyone else has any additional information, please reply.

Reply # - February 23, 2014, 11:27 AM

catdander
Posts:

I am so so sorry your father died so suddenly. I'm still poking around but have found, "Neuroendocrine carcinoma. Approximately 60% of neuroendocrine tumors cannot be described as a specific type of cancer other than neuroendocrine carcinoma. Neuroendocrine carcinoma can start in a number of places in the body, including the lungs, brain, and gastrointestinal tract." http://www.cancer.net/cancer-types/neuroendocrine-tumor

Unfortunately like many people's cancer your father's cancer didn't respond to chemo. The following article includes case reports. Though the patients in the reports did much better than expected the intros and discussions give a lot of information about a cancer that is quite unusual in the colon, maybe even considered rare. http://www.jmedicalcasereports.com/content/7/1/74

The causes are usually unknown. Small cell cancer of the lung is an exception and is caused by the bombardment of chronic smoke carcinogens.

I hope for peace for you and your family,
Janine

Reply # - February 23, 2014, 08:38 PM

Dr West
Posts: 4735

I don't think smoking would be the underlying cause in someone who has a neuroendocrine cancer originate in the gut.

I used the word "often" in my statement about sensitivity to chemo because we definitely see cancers that can blow right through our best treatments and are very humbling. It's less common than getting at least transient shrinkage of the cancer, but it's all too believable. I'm very sorry that your father had a cancer that was so refractory to treatment.

-Dr. West

Reply # - February 24, 2014, 05:48 AM

mrsreyes4365
Posts: 5

According to the cancer specialist, he had the cancer anywhere from three to six weeks. In that timeframe, it managed to spread through my fathers body and take his life. My family and I never knew he was that sick as he never showed any symptoms. His only complaint was of his knees as he had always suffered from gout. When we took him to the hospital on January 14, we had no idea how Ill he was until they started running tests and every day the news was worse. On January 21st, my father passed and the cancer specialist walked and informed us of this cancer and the aggressiveness of it. Now I am at a loss for answers and still trying to come to terms with what happened. My father was my world.

Reply # - February 24, 2014, 06:09 AM

JimC
Posts: 2753

I am so sorry that you have lost your father to this terrible disease, and so quickly. Cancer has taken so many good people from me, including my wife, a number of friends and family in the "real" world and many friends here on GRACE. There are never any satisfactory answers for why it happens. It is a sad fact that some cancers do not cause symptoms until they are so far advanced that treatment is not effective or even possible. Despite advances in cancer care over the years, as Dr. West said some are just beyond current treatment knowledge.

Please know that there are many GRACE members who have you in our thoughts and wish you peace and comfort at this very difficult time.

JimC
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Reply # - February 25, 2014, 04:37 PM

laya d.
Posts: 714

I am so very sorry for your loss...

Laya

Reply # - February 25, 2014, 07:36 PM

mrsreyes4365
Posts: 5

JimC, Lays D, Janine,

Thank you all so much for sharing your experiences with me. I have been having such a difficult time coping with the loss of my father. Some days I just cannot come to terms with my loss and I feel so lost. I am hoping that with time, the pain will ease, but for now I am just trying to understand what happened!

Reply # - February 26, 2014, 09:38 AM

shy one
Posts: 49

My mother also died of her kidney cancer very quickly, and I can appreciate how stunned you must feel. You are right that with time the pain will ease, and while we cannot yet, perhaps, understand what happened, be aware that you are not alone in your grief. Thinking of the wonderful experiences and laughter I had with my mother helped me put her life into perspective, and even to re-experience her. It changed my focus in the direction of her life, rather than only her death, even as I cried my grief out. My best wishes to you, and my heart feels your pain.
Nan

Reply # - February 28, 2014, 06:10 AM

marisa93
Posts: 215

I am very sorry to hear of the loss of your father. When it happens so suddenly, it leaves you in a tailspin looking for answers. We had a year with my husband after he was diagnosed but I was still not prepared for his passing when it happened. He seemed to be doing so well and suddenly things went downhill. He passed about 1 week after things took a turn so we were in shock and I was trying to understand how it had changed so quickly. I never found all the answers I was looking for as there really weren't any to tell me why it had become so aggressive or why him or why wasn't there something else we could have done. There weren't any answers that would change what had happened so I needed to find a way to accept it. In time, just as you say, I did accept it. I hope you find the peace and comfort you are looking for in the days ahead and reflect on all of your memories with your dad.

Lisa

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