While progress in outcomes has been greater in non–small cell lung cancer, recent advances, including molecularly targeted therapies against EGFR and ALK, checkpoint inhibitors that boost immune response, improved staging, and video-assisted surgery have all contributed to progress in treatment of all types of lung cancer, including in SCLC.
Small cell lung cancer (SCLC) needs to be treated quickly once diagnosed, said Konstantinos Leventakos, MD, PhD, assistant professor of oncology and medicine, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minnesota.
While some types of lung cancer have targeted therapies, there remains a need for identification of biomarkers to predict treatment response in small cell lung cancer (SCLC).