Small-Cell Lung Cancer (cont.)
IN THIS ARTICLE
- Small-Cell Lung Cancer Overview
- Small-Cell Lung Cancer Causes
- Small-Cell Lung Cancer Symptoms
- When to Seek Medical Care
- Exams and Tests
- Small-Cell Lung Cancer Treatment
- Medical Treatment
- Medications
- Surgery
- Other Therapy
- Next Steps
- Follow-up
- Prevention
- Outlook
- Support Groups and Counseling
- For More Information
- Web Links
- Multimedia
- Synonyms and Keywords
- Authors and Editors
Next Steps
Follow-up
- Patients who are receiving chemotherapy require close monitoring for side effects and their response to therapy.
- A blood workup, including CBC (complete blood count), is needed prior to each cycle of chemotherapy to ensure that the bone marrow has recovered before the next dose of chemotherapy is given.
- Kidney function should be monitored, especially if the patient is taking cisplatin, as it can damage the kidneys.
- The patient may be advised to undergo a CT scan after 2 cycles of therapy to assess response to the therapy.
- If the patient’s serum LDH (lactic dehydrogenase, an enzyme found in the blood that may indicate cancer when blood levels are higher than normal) is elevated before the start of therapy, it is a good marker for response and should be monitored.
Palliative and terminal care
Because small-cell lung cancer is diagnosed in many people when it is not curable, palliative care becomes important. The goal of palliative and terminal care is to enhance the person’s quality of life.
The patient may be given radiation therapy as palliative treatment to relieve symptoms caused by compression of the food pipe, windpipe, or superior vena cava.
Palliative care offers the patient emotional and physical comfort and relief from pain. Palliative care not only focuses on comfort but also addresses the concerns of the patient’s family and loved ones. The patient’s caregivers may include family and friends in addition to doctors and other health care professionals.
Palliative and terminal care is often given in a hospital, hospice, or nursing home; however, it can also be provided at home.
The following organizations can help with palliative and terminal care:National Hospice and Palliative Care Organization
1700 Diagonal Road, Suite 625
Alexandria, VA 22314
(703) 837-1500, (800) 658-8898 (Helpline)
nhpco_info@nhpco.org
Hospice Association of America
228 Seventh Street, SE
Washington, DC 20003
(202) 546-4759
Hospice Education Institute
3 Unity Square
PO Box 98
Machiasport, ME 04655-0098
(800) 331-1620
info@hospiceworld.org
Hospice Net
Suite 51
401 Bowling Avenue
Nashville, TN 37205-5124
comments@hospicenet.org
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Small cell lung cancer (SCLC) is considered distinct from other lung cancers, called non–small-cell lung cancers (NSCLCs), because of their clinical and biologic characteristics.
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