Small-cell lung cancer (SCLC) occurs almost exclusively in cigarette smokers. Veterans are particularly vulnerable to SCLC because of their prevalent smoking history and exposures to carcinogens, including Agent Orange.
SCLC is characterized by the early development of widespread metastases, including liver, bone, and brain.
Unlike, non–-small cell lung cancer, which has seen great improvement in survival from the introduction of immunotherapy and targeted agents, there has been relatively little improvement in SCLC.
Patients generally are classified into limited- and extensive-stage disease, but platinum-based chemotherapy is almost always the standard first-line treatment. Unfortunately, most patients relapse within a year.
In this ReCAP, Dr Shadia Jalal, of Indiana University Melvin and Bren Simon Comprehensive Cancer Center, discusses second-line treatment options for SCLC patients who relapse after chemotherapy. She also discusses four subtypes of SCLC categorized on the basis of specific transcription regulators, which may offer the potential of targeted therapies for this patient population.
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Shadia Jalal, MD, Associate Professor of Medicine, Physician, Indiana University Melvin and Bren Simon Comprehensive Cancer Center, Indianapolis, Indiana
Shadia Jalal, MD, has disclosed no relevant financial relationships.