Re: SCLC - Topotecan/other active agents?

Degten wrote:

On Thu, 23 Feb 2006 04:29:36 -0500, J <studras@xxxxxxxx> wrote:

Degten wrote:

My dad was diagnosed with extensive SCLC in August '05. Mets were
primarily on adrenals, both lungs. He is having a scan next week to
see whether shoulder pain is old rugby injury or bone mets.
[...]
I wanted to also say to the anti-chemo brigade that our family is very
grateful for the extra months that chemo has given our Dad. Not least
Dad himself.

Sometimes the extra few months can be a misery of side effects that cannot
be palliated.
We've heard both sides of that coin, on these newsgroups, over the years.

I'm always happy to hear of remissions or cures involving chemotherapy.
(I know) there's millions out there who've used chemotherapy, in
appropriate situations and moved on with their lives. Others take it,
when appropriate, but pass away. I'm not anti-chemo brigade. It's knowing
when to use it and knowing when to stop (or not use it).

<I agree. I'm well aware of the obverse of the coin, having witnessed
the suffering of my niece going through salvage chemo for Wilms Tumour
only to see her relapse 10 months later. Some people appear to be
reflexively anti-chemo; the reality is that it can be very effective
for some people - for at least a while

I suppose it varies.
Some people hear cancer and reflexively think chemo
Unfortunately, some web pages list all three (for each cancer) without
differentiating which treatment (surgery, radiation or chemo) is better for
each type/stage of cancer.

There's lots of "promising" medicines out there. The press makes a big
splash without researching them properly or following a patient's
journey. Some improve the delivery system (ie same medicine, different
name, but by mouth instead of IV infusion), some are old formulations
reformulated for less side effects (new name), some claim to stop tumors
from accessing food (blood) Is my non-expert understanding.
[..]

<thanks, I will look it up; I used to be on alt.support.cancer

I thought I recognized your screen name - 2003. (Lowkey, Rian, Cat's wife -
they've all passed away, sadly)

- one of these things, all of a sudden cancer comes into your life. At the
moment I am more interested in getting information.

I think you've gotten the best there is, from Steph, for your Dad, regarding
chemo.
Of course, if there's bone mets, you'll likely be consulting with a radiation
oncologist.

Its seems that there have been very few real advances in lung cancer
treatment in the
last 20 years.

Marginal improvement on survival times (a month or a few more), are coming out
of clincial trials results.
But I don't get to hear how many died, how many pulled out, unltil sometimes
years after, after the trial closed and the results have been analyzed, before
they're published somewhere on the internet.
In the meantime, people are wanting what is claimed to or thought "might"
prolong survival.

At a glance, it doesn't look like Hycamtin aka topotecan fared any better than
CAV
http://www.pslgroup.com/dg/c961e.htm
And I don't think we've heard from any on alt.support.cancer who are taking it,
not in recent years.
A few posts, in the past few years, on this newsgroup. (mostly advanced ovarian
cancer, if I recall correctly and i know for sure that one poster's wife passed
away). Haven't heard from the other.

As to new /promising, I'm just about to post something about immunotherapy.

Keep in touch and let us know how it's going.
I'll be thinking of you and your Dad.
Mom died of lung cancer (albeit diagnosed late) approximately 5 weeks after
diagnosis and Dad passed away of other causes, so I know what it's like to lose
a parent.

If other questions come to mind, be sure to post. We'll be here...
J


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