Small cell lung cancer (SCLC) represents 12.95% of all lung cancer diagnoses and continues to be a major clinical problem, with an aggressive clinical course and short disease-free duration after 1st line therapy. Treatment of SCLC remains challenging because of its rapid growth and development of drug resistance during the course of the disease. Chemotherapy remains the current optimal treatment and radical thoracic radiotherapy representing the best treatment option for fit patients with LD. Platinum-based chemotherapy is the treatment of choice in patients with good performance status, and the effect of cisplatin is important for concurrent chemoradiotherapy in LD cause of his radiosensitivity. Patients with progress disease after first-line chemotherapy have poor prognosis. Second-line therapy may produce a modest clinical benefit. A number of targeted agents have been investigated in LD and ED, mostly in unselected populations, with disappointing results. Prophylactic cranial irradiation (PCI) is recommended only for patients who had full response to first line chemotherapy, as target of improving overall survival and decreasing possibilities of brain metastases. New factors for target therapy are the hope for the management of this systematic disease. If we identify these targets for treatment of SCLC and overcome drug-resistance mechanisms, we will create new chemo-radiotherapy schedules for future.
Keywords: Small cell lung cancer (SCLC); chemotherapy; targeted; treatment.