Chemotherapy with curative potential in small cell carcinoma of the lung

Despite response rates to combination chemotherapy regimens approaching 90 per cent, long-term survival is experienced by less than 10 per cent of patients with small cell carcinoma of the lung. Recent efforts to improve the efficacy of therapy have focused on the combined use of radiation and chemotherapy, alternating non-cross resistant chemotherapeutic regimens, dose intensification, and performance of surgery for selected patients with limited-stage disease.