Treating Small Cell Lung Cancer

Your doctor will discuss appropriate treatment options after diagnosis. More tests will be done to find out if cancer cells have spread from 1 or both lungs to other parts of the body. Small cell lung cancer (SCLC) is usually found in both lungs. Because of this, surgery is rarely used as a treatment option. [20]

Chemotherapy is the most common treatment for all stages of SCLC. Small cell lung cancer is initially very responsive to chemotherapy, given alone or with radiation therapy; however, most cases of SCLC become resistant to treatment, and most patients with small cell lung cancer sensitive disease eventually experience a recurrence of their disease. Recurrence (or relapse) means a reappearance of the signs and symptoms of cancer. [20]

Treatment for recurrent small cell lung cancer [20]

Many of the same issues that affected treatment during your initial (or first-line) cancer therapy will be considered again when planning treatment for relapsed disease. Small cell lung cancer grows very quickly and can spread (or metastasize) to other parts of the body, including the bones, brain, liver, and lymph nodes.

Treatment of recurrent disease is intended to slow or stop the growth of cancer in the lung as well as in other parts of the body where the disease has spread. Second-line treatment of small cell lung cancer may include:

• Chemotherapy drugs that were not used in the initial treatment plan. Several drugs may be given at the same time. Depending on how much time has passed since your initial diagnosis, your doctor may decide to treat you with the same drugs used in the initial plan.
• Radiation therapy used to help shrink or destroy tumors in the lung or elsewhere in the body and to help control symptoms.

There are a number of US Food and Drug Administration (FDA)-approved second-line agents available.

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