Small cell lung cancer: an update on therapeutic aspects

Small cell lung cancer comprises approximately 20% of all lung cancers and continues to be a difficult management issue. More than two-thirds of cases present with extensive disease, which has spread beyond the himithorax and regional ipsilateral nodes. While response rates to chemotherapy are relatively high, durable responses are rare, and long-term survival rates are anecdotal. Although many attempts have been made to develop new therapies, a combination of etoposide with either cisplatin or carboplatin remains the most widely used first-line therapy for extensive disease. For those with limited disease, chemotherapy with concomitant radiotherapy (given with the first or second cycles of chemotherapy) is considered the standard of care. Over the last decade, several new drugs and targeted agents have been identified with the aim to improve outcome of this malignancy. In this review we highlight recent developments in the management of this tumour.