Current updates in management of relapsed/refractory small cell lung cancer

Abstract

Small cell lung cancer (SCLC) is an aggressive subtype of neuroendocrine tumor. It is characterized by a rapid doubling time and early development of metastatic disease. Despite being responsive to initial chemotherapy, most of the patients will have relapse of the disease within a few months. The prognosis of SCLC is dismal with a 5-year survival rate of less than 5%. For that reason, management of SCLC has been an active area of research. The utilization of immunotherapy has provided promising results in treatment of SCLC in the front-line setting. Therefore, utilization of immunotherapy and targeted therapy is being studied in the setting of relapsed/refractory disease, and currently, different clinical trials are exploring new drugs and further options. In this review, we will explore the latest updates in management of relapsed/refractory SCLC.

Keywords

Small cell lung cancer / relapsed small cell lung cancer / chemotherapy / immunotherapy / targeted therapy

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