జర్నల్ ఆఫ్ ఫార్మాస్యూటికల్ సైన్సెస్ & ఎమర్జింగ్ డ్రగ్స్

New and Emerging Strategies for the Treatment of Small Cell Lung Cancer

Gregory Gorman

New and Emerging Strategies for the Treatment of Small Cell Lung Cancer

Small Cell Lung Cancer (SCLC) is a very aggressive cancer that comprises 15 to 25% of all lung cancers and has its highest occurrence in smokers. Although it is generally considered to be very responsive to chemotherapy in the limited stage, it has a high incidence of recurrence. Despite its overall response rate which has been reported to be as high as 75 to 85%, patients with extensive stage disease are often refractory to the initial treatment. The long-term survival rate for SCLC for the limited disease state is approximately 15% while the advanced stage disease is often fatal in less than 1 year. Due to the asymptomatic characteristics of SCLC it often goes undiagnosed until it has progressed into the extensive stage.