Irinotecan in the treatment of small cell lung cancer

Combination chemotherapy is the cornerstone of treatment of small cell lung cancer, leading to a meaningful survival benefit for these patients. However, there have been no major advances in therapy in the last decade. Therefore, more effective new treatments are necessary to improve the outcome of therapy. Irinotecan is one of the new active agents that provide hope for more effective therapies in the 21st century. A Phase III trial carried out in Japan clearly demonstrated a survival advantage of a combination of cisplatin and irinotecan over the standard regimen of cisplatin and etoposide. This review outlines the treatment results of irinotecan as a single agent as well as in combination with other cytotoxic agents.