Stage IV Small Cell Lung Cancer: Sylvane's Patient Story
This lung cancer diagnosis at a glance
- Stage at diagnosis
- Stage IV
- Subtype
- Small Cell Lung Cancer
- Sex
- Female
- Spread to
- Bone; adrenal glands
- Treatment
- chemotherapy, immunotherapy and complementary therapy
- Outcome
- Responding Well
Treatment course, step by step
- Prior breast cancer in 1993 treated with chemotherapy, radiation, left mastectomy, and lymph-node-chain removal, with no further disease for 27 years
- May 2020 persistent dry cough led to scan, bronchoscopy/biopsy, and PET scan
- 18 June 2020 diagnosis of Stage IV small cell lung cancer with adrenal and bone metastases
- chemotherapy started immediately; 2nd cycle delayed 8 days for low white blood cells; 2nd cycle 27-29 July and 3rd cycle 31 August-2 September
- metabolic treatment, artemisinin, homeopathy, lapacho, and removal of added sugar used alongside treatment
- 11 September scan/15 September visit showed lung tumor reduced by half and complete regression of bone and adrenal metastases
- planned final chemo-immunotherapy cycle, then immunotherapy alone.
What happened, in summary
Sylvane was 71 when a persistent dry cough in May 2020 led to a new cancer diagnosis. She had survived breast cancer 27 years earlier, in 1993, after chemotherapy, radiation, removal of the left breast, and removal of the lymph-node chain. This time, COVID testing was negative, and a scan led to bronchoscopy, biopsy, and PET scan. On June 18, 2020, her oncologist told her she had Stage IV small cell lung cancer with adrenal and bone metastases. Chemotherapy began immediately. Her 2nd cycle was delayed by 8 days because of low white blood cells, then given July 27-29. A 3rd cycle followed August 31 to September 2. Sylvane also used homeopathy, desmodium for liver crises, metabolic treatment, artemisinin, lapacho, and removal of added sugars. On September 11 she had a scan, followed by an oncology visit on September 15. The results showed a strong response: the lung tumor had shrunk by half, and the bone and adrenal metastases had completely regressed. Her plan changed to 1 final chemo-immunotherapy cycle at the end of September, then immunotherapy alone. Sylvane’s story is a Stage IV SCLC response story, with ongoing treatment and cautious hope.
Where this story comes from
This is a lay summary of an account first published by Cancer et Métabolisme. Read the original in full
These are lay summaries of published cancer stories, for information only. No two cancers behave the same way, and nothing here predicts your own diagnosis or replaces advice from your oncology team.