My sister has been diagnosed with small cell lung cancer with

This is Dr. David

I am sorry about your sister.

the prognosis is very serious and dire for patients who have metastatic small cell cancer spread to the brain.

her cancer can be treated and slowed down.

with radiation therapy to the brain

and with systemic IV chemotherapy to fight the small cell cancer in the rest of her body.

but when the small cell cancer has spread to the brain, it is no longer a curable cancer.

has she consulted with a radiation oncology doctor? about radiation therapy to the brain?

she also needs a course of dexamethasone steroid therapy to help decrease brain swelling from the cancer.

let me know if you have other questions.

it is impossible to predict length of time for survival

patients with brain metastasis in a group have on average a year survival rate.

but that means 1/2 of the patients live longer than 1 year

and about 1/2 of them live less than 1 year.

usually it is 1 year with whole brain radiation therapy.

chemotherapy does not get into the brain because of the blood brain barrier.

she should ask her cancer doctor to be referred to radiation oncology to talk about radiation to the brain to shrink the metastasis in the brain.

I see.

I hope the cancer in the brain is not growing

try to go with her to her next oncology doctor appointment

and ask about radiation to the brain.

best of luck to you and her .

let me know if you have other questions.

you are welcome

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