pardewrobert1
![]()
Posts:4
Hi, 3 to 4 years prior to my diagnosis of small cell lung cancer I suffered from small fiber neuropathy, i am not sure if it is autoimmune related, there was some of autoimmune issues?
I have two questions, if that is ok?
1 is it likely that the neuropathy/autoimmune is related to my diagnosis of small cell.
2 if it is related, does this influence or rule out immunotherapy treatment.
In hope you understand my questions and concerns.
B.
Forums
Reply # - January 29, 2019, 10:13 AM
Hi B, Welcome to Grace. I'm
Hi B,
Welcome to Grace. I'm very sorry to know about your diagnosis. I certainly understand your concerns and think I understand your questions. If I understand correctly your neuropathy wasn't determined to be associated with an autoimmune cause (there are many other causes as discussed in the quote from Mayo Clinic below). And I think you suggested you no longer suffer from the neuropathy. Either way there should be no reason not to discuss your options for immunotherapy with your oncologist. As you can see from the ASCO meeting library quote below there are successes with immunotherapies but some of those with AD have experienced worsening symptoms however in the small number of people looked at in the ASCO article those with neurological AD had fewer flare-ups. Note that the numbers were small so you really can't make absolute conclusions. Unfortunately, there are no easy answers here and decisions still need to be made on an individual basis.
Mayo Clinic is a leader in neurology and their website describes peripheral neuropathy causes, "There are many types of peripheral neuropathy, often brought on by diabetes; genetic predispositions (hereditary causes); exposure to toxic chemicals, alcoholism, malnutrition, inflammation (infectious or autoimmune), injury, and nerve compression; and by taking certain medications such as those used to treat cancer and HIV/AIDS. Mayo Clinic researchers are working toward earlier and better diagnosis and treatment, and ultimately prevention of these debilitating nerve diseases. The following are the major types of peripheral neuropathy:" https://www.mayo.edu/research/departments-divisions/department-neurology/programs/peripheral-nerve-disorders?_ga=2.81161426.456839415.1548782235-1970393151.1546355540
"PD1 have efficacy in pts with preexisting AD and/or major irAEs with IPI. PD1 may flare preexisting AD, particularly rheumatologic, but GI and neurological disorders may flare less . In pts with prior major irAEs with IPI recurrence of the same irAE is rare, but new irAEs occur. The rate of irAEs in these pts appears higher than in clinical trial pts." https://meetinglibrary.asco.org/record/123435/abstract
I hope this helps and I know you'll find the right treatments. Working towards a treatment plan is always stressful but once it's made you'll more than likely feel a great deal of relief.
Best of luck,
Janine
I joined GRACE as a caregiver for my husband who had a Pancoast tumor, NSCLC stage III in 2009. He had curative chemo/rads then it was believed he had a recurrence in the spine/oligometastasis that was radiated. He's 10 years out from treatment.
In reply to Hi B, Welcome to Grace. I'm by JanineT GRACE …
Reply # - January 29, 2019, 11:14 AM
Hi I still suffer from small
Hi I still suffer from small fiber neuropathy, the cause was never identified. About the same time there were discussions about autoimmune disease, but nothing was identified in various blood tests. It seems strange that 3 to 4 years later I got diagnosed with small cell of the lung. I wondered if the neuropathy and autoimmune issues were related to the cancer diagnosis. I have looked at the links and they are really helpful thank you.
B
Reply # - January 30, 2019, 06:58 AM
Neuropathy prior to SCLC diagnosis
GRACE Community Outreach Team
Hi B,
As you can see from the study linked below, there are cases in which a paraneoplastic neuropathy presents prior to a diagnosis of small cell lung cancer. As noted in the text, it can be difficult to pinpoint the source of such neuropathies, but it's certainly something worth discussing with a neurologist and your oncologist. There may be tests which were not performed at the time the neuropathy first developed. As the article points out, the pre-existing neuropathy may also be aggravated by the cancer or its treatment.
https://jnnp.bmj.com/content/67/1/4
Jim C Forum Moderator
In reply to Neuropathy prior to SCLC diagnosis by Jim C GRACE Co…
Reply # - February 3, 2019, 04:02 AM
Hi and thank you for the
Hi and thank you for the additional information. I will ask the oncologist if we can get neurology input.
When searching the web I get a lot of promising links to Cancer grace. When I click on them I get an Oops page not found error. Do I need to update my browser to get access?
Thankyou
B
In reply to Hi and thank you for the by pardewrobert1
Reply # - February 3, 2019, 08:20 AM
Link issues
GRACE Community Outreach Team
Hi B,
It's not a problem with your browser. The GRACE site has recently undergone a major renovation, and our staff is working furiously to make all of the previous content accessible. You may want to choose some key terms and use the GRACE search function to see if you can get to the content you're seeking.
Jim C Forum Moderator
Reply # - February 3, 2019, 11:42 AM
Right, definitely use our
Right, definitely use our Grace search here on the site. All the old content (except the old forum) is here but you need to search on our site. Google search results will be corrected.
BTW, all the old threads will be migrated en masse. Until then let us know when you come across a thread you'd like to see and we will make it available straight away.
All best,
Janine
I joined GRACE as a caregiver for my husband who had a Pancoast tumor, NSCLC stage III in 2009. He had curative chemo/rads then it was believed he had a recurrence in the spine/oligometastasis that was radiated. He's 10 years out from treatment.