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Non Small Cell AND Small Cell lung cancer? What is this ?

 
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kcjonnie
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Joined: 30 Sep 2008
Posts: 5
PostPosted: Fri Oct 03, 2008 6:35 pm    Post subject: Non Small Cell AND Small Cell lung cancer? Reply with quote
Hello,
I'm writing to know if anyone has ever heard of someone having both non small cell lung cancer and small cell lung cancer? I'm asking because my dad received radiation therapy to a non small cell tumor in his lung (1/2 inch) back in June. The radiation therapy was chosen due to the fact that two PET scans only showed one spot and the biopsy revealed non small cell lung cancer. A few weeks ago my Dad had a follow up PET scan, it showed a spot on his adrenal gland. The biopsy report indicates a small cell lung cancer tumor (2/3 inch). He will begin chemotherapy on Monday. The doctor said that the cancer that spread to his adrenal gland is from a different tumor than was biopsied (i.e. one that is not showing up on the PET scans.)

Has anyone heard of this? Also, he did have biopsies of a couple lymph nodes which did not show cancer back in June. Can biopsies result in cancerous cells being moved around and more active in the blood stream?

Thanks for anyone who can help!
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pbj11
Site Admin


Joined: 12 May 2007
Posts: 1386
PostPosted: Fri Oct 03, 2008 8:34 pm    Post subject: Re: Non Small Cell AND Small Cell lung cancer? Reply with quote
Hi KC,

Sorry to hear that your on this path with your dad. Yes, I've heard of people having a combination of both before. There is information that can be searched on this situation at CancerGRACE.org. This is a site run by an oncologist with a specialty in lung cancer. If you don't find the info in a search, register and ask the doctor particulars. It's an amazing site to have a doctor responding to questions in this day and age.

I don't know that biopsies can release cells into the blood stream. I have heard that needle biopsies can pull cancer cells out with the needle, but this would be pretty minor in the scheme of things. Circulating cancer cells have to group together enough somewhere in the body where they can take hold and grow into a tumor.

Good luck and keep us posted with your dad's treatment.

PBJ
_________________
Husband diagnosed with NSCLC Stage IV. (Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer) Fought & lived 2 1/2 years with multiple lines of treatment.

Post describing our battle: http://cancerforums.net/viewtopic.php?t=7026&postdays=0&postorder=asc&start=0
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kcjonnie
New User


Joined: 30 Sep 2008
Posts: 5
PostPosted: Sat Oct 04, 2008 7:23 pm    Post subject: Re: Non Small Cell AND Small Cell lung cancer? Reply with quote
PBJ,

Thank you so much for the link to the cancer doc and also for your helpful comments!
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