r/lungcancer • u/Reasonable-Paper-907 • 1d ago

Looking to connect with families/patients with Small Cell Lung Cancer (SCLC) on EP chemo

Hello everyone,

My father (69M) has been recently diagnosed with Stage 3 Small Cell Lung Cancer (SCLC). We have started the standard EP chemotherapy regimen (Etoposide + Platinum) as advised by his oncologist in Aurobindo indore.

I’m reaching out to ask:

Has anyone here (or their relatives) gone through this same treatment?

What were your experiences with EP chemo (side effects, how manageable it was, what helped)?

Which doctors or cancer centers did you consult, and how was the care?

Did you try additional treatments (like radiation or immunotherapy) along with chemo, and how effective did you find them?

Any practical tips on nutrition, side-effect management, or emotional support that really helped?

We’re just trying to learn from real experiences while walking this path and would deeply appreciate if you could share your journey.

Thank you

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u/Wyde1340 Stage 4 Squamous NSCLC w/MET amplification 20h ago

I'm not sure if you're a Facebook user, but there's a group called Lung Cancer Network (provided by LiveLung) that has many SCLC survivors/caregivers.

https://www.facebook.com/groups/lcnetwork/?ref=share&mibextid=NSMWBT

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u/Existing-Subject6995 20h ago

My father (54) has been through the same treatment and he took it well without having any serious side-effects except only his rbc and WBC count went down but otherwise he was fine. We did receive immunotherapy along with chemo and later radiation.

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u/missmypets 11h ago

The LiveLung Foundation that Wyde1340 mentioned also hosts an annual sclc summit and makes travel grants available to patients and caregivers. I can't say enough good things about that organization.

As for managing side effects, I had Cisplatin and etopocide. Fatigue was my biggest issue and my red blood cell count dropped so low I had transfusions after the last three cycles of treatment. I had concurrent radiation though which made it even more debilitating.

I would encourage you to get as much protein in as possible. Add protein powder to smoothies or milkshakes. Plan 5-6 small meals rather than three regular ones. Lemon drops help mitigate the taste of the platinum between meals. Tastebuds will be affected and favorite foods may make him nauseous. Keep a stash of snacks by his chair or bedside.

If you experience nausea and the anti nausea pills he's given don't work, let the dr know. There are other types of antinausea meds that have a different mechanism of action. Have stool softeners, laxatives, and anti diarrhea meds on hand because it can go either way, or both ways.

Keep him well hydrated. Use the time between now and start of treatment to get in walks every day. It will help with his recovery rate.

If I think of more, I will write again.