Prognostic differences between oligometastatic and polymetastatic extensive disease-small cell lung cancer

Oligometastasis is a state in which cancer patients have a limited number of metastatic tumors; patients with oligometastases survive longer than those with polymetastases. Extensive disease (ED)-small cell lung cancer (SCLC) is considered a systemic disease and a poor survival. This study investigated whether the concept of oligometastases is prognostic factor also applicable to patients with ED-SCLC.

We performed a retrospective study of 141 consecutive patients with ED-SCLC between 2008 and 2016. The patients were divided into four subgroups: group 1; patients with solitary metastatic site in one organ (n = 31), group 2; patients with 2-5 metastatic sites in one organ (n = 18), group 3; patients with over 6 metastases in one organ (n = 15), and group 4; patients with 2 or more metastatic organs (n = 77).

It was identified that 49 patients with ED-SCLC had oligometastases (groups 1 + 2) and 92 had polymetastases (groups 3 + 4). The prognoses of patients with ED-SCLC and oligometastases, defined as ≤5 metastases in a single organ, were significantly superior to those of patients with polymetastases [16.0 (95% CI, 11.0-21.0) months vs. 6.9 (95% CI, 6.0-7.8) months; p<0.001]. 43 of 49 patients with ED-SCLC and oligometastases were relapsed after initial chemotherapy, and 38 (88%) experienced local recurrence.

Patients with ED-SCLC and oligometastases may have improved survival than those with polymetastases. As oligometastatic ED-SCLC tends to recur locally, local therapy combined with systemic chemotherapy may be a treatment option.