Abstrakt

Background: While the treatment and survival of non-small-cell lung cancer has seen considerable improvements during the last decade, progress in the field of small-cell lung cancer (SCLC) has been limited.
Objective: To describe current treatment standard in extensive stage (ED) SCLC and discuss the potential for further improvement.
Materials and methods: Selective literature research and abstract collections of conferences.
Results: Given the recent approval of two anti-PD-L1 antibodies in combination with platinum etoposide, the therapeutic standard in the first-line (1L) treatment of ED-SCLC has been the clinical advancement after three decades of stagnation. The observed survival benefit remains however modest with an improvement of just 2 – 3 months median overall survival; interestingly, follow-up data shows a small subset of “longer” survivors. In later lines of treatment, promising agents have not shown any outcome improvement in overall survival compared with established standards such as topotecan or other chemotherapy combinations. The lack of progress is mainly attributed to the complex biology, high proliferation rate and rapid development of resistance to therapy. Recent discoveries of molecular and immunological hallmarks and subtypes of SCLC are currently resulting in clinical trials for new treatment approaches.
Conclusion: Finally, there has been a modest but clinically relevant breakthrough in the treatment of ED-SCLC. However, the prognosis of ED-SCLC remains comparably poor and further efforts for improving outcome are needed. Therefore, patients should be included in clinical trials with novel agents whenever possible.

Autoreninformation

Autoren

• J.-P. Weber

Abteilungen

• MVZ Onkologie und Hämatologie Köln am Sachsenring, Köln

Adresse

Jan-Phillip Weber
MVZ Onkologie und Hämatologie Köln am Sachsenring
Sachsenring 69
50677 Köln
Email: [email protected]

Citation