Not NSCLC for 3rd Time! - 1272935

charliebutler
Posts:21

Thanks for all the support guys. Hey Judy, sorry about your back pain but glad it is not cancer.

Well, as I said it turns out this latest recurrence is Combined Adeno/SCLC. I was supposed to see the Oncologist today but my appointment was moved to Friday. I have done research and it seems that this combined form will be treated as SCLC. I am thinking Carbo/Etoposide, maybe radiation, maybe surgery. I just will not know until Friday, I hope.

It drives me crazy that this spot showed up back in August and now it is 6 months later and I have yet to have treatment, Watch for 90 days, 3 weeks later PET, 3 weeks later biopsy, 10 days for results, 9 days to see Oncologist, and who knows what. Worry is about how fast SCLC can grow and spread. Not worried about treatment. Just ready to get moving...............

Charlie

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JimC
Posts: 2753

I understand your frustration, Charlie. The process can really seem to drag on for quite a while. I hope you can get a treatment plan in place on Friday or very soon thereafter, and get going on knocking this out.

Please let us know what you find out.

JimC
Forum moderator

charliebutler
Posts: 21

Been out awhile. My 35 year old daughter passed away Thursday a week ago. Susan had been fighting IBC for about two and a half years. God rest her soul.

I will finally being seeing an Oncologist on Tuesday. The VA came to the conclusion that they should transfer my care to a Civilian facility. It has taken a little over 10 days to make this happen. Let you know the results.

JimC
Posts: 2753

Charlie,

I am so sorry to hear of the loss of your beloved daughter Susan, only made worse by your current battle with cancer. Such an awful disease taking too many people.

My thoughts are with you for peace and comfort. I hope you have a productive meeting with the oncologist, and will look forward to your update.

JimC
Forum moderator

charliebutler
Posts: 21

Update

The VA referred me to a civilian Oncologist with the Southern Cancer center. Dr.Heller, my new Onc., has doubts about the Pathology report of mixed Adeno and Small cell. He did a Brain scan, a bone scan and an Abdominal and Chest CT. There were no indications of spread and the Tumor was only 1,9 CM. Dr Heller then referred me to the Surgeon that did my first two surgeries. The surgeon thought that surgery would be high risk and might not solve the problem. The surgeon, based on my second thoracotomy, says that my chest is a mass of scar tissue and that the Pleura is stuck to the lung and the chest. Dr. Heller is now referring me to a Radiation Oncologist,

I still do not have any real answers but all in all I think the initial reports are positive. No proof that there is no small cell but no spread is good news,

Charlie

charliebutler
Posts: 21

Update 4 May 2016

Yes! Nothing has really happened since my last update in March. No Treatment. I took the bold step of scrapping the the new team set up by the VA and went back to the team that treated me the first two times that I had cancer.

I saw my old team on Monday, 2 May 2016. My Onc wants me on Chemo immediately!! I am having a port place tomorrow, seeing the Radiation Onc. on Friday and starting chemo on Monday. Dr. Cameron said that he was going to treat my cancer as small cell. He wants me to have chemo then radiation. I will be on Carboplatin and Etoposide. I will have two rounds at 21 day intervals and then another scan to evaluate things and see where we go from there.

Side Note: In the interval since my last post I saw the Surgeon that did my first two thoracotomies and told that surgery was not an option.

Charlie

catdander
Posts:

Hi Charlie!

So good to hear from you. It appears I've not commented since your return but I want you to know I've been keeping up with your posts. I'm so sorry this darn cancer keeps creeping back into your life. I can't imagine :evil:

It sounds like you've got a plan with the people you trust. I hope you can still kick some cancer butt this time around and look forward to that good news. :)

All best and take care,
Janine

charliebutler
Posts: 21

Treatment Plan

I did not quite understand the Plan initially.
This coming Monday I will have Carboplatin and Etoposide, Tuesday Etoposide, Wednesday Etoposide and I will be sent home with the Neulasta On-Pro.

To be honest, this sounds like a lot of fun. Seeing the Radiation Oncologist this afternoon. Everything about my schedule was all changed last week.

Charlie

catdander
Posts:

Hi Charlie,

As I recall Don's cisplatin etoposide/radiation schedule was similar. On the up side with the radiation everyday you won't be going to the clinic just for chemo infusion. OK that sarcasm probably wouldn't have worked on Don either. I'm just so so sorry you've got to go through this again and it's impossible to someone like me to begin to understand what this is like. I do understand that it's close to the worst possible scenario. With any luck you won't need anymore cancer or any other kind of treatment again.

Lots of (((HUGS))) from Birmingham!
Janine