Current and future therapeutic approaches for the treatment of small cell lung cancer

ABSTRACT

Introduction: Small-cell lung cancer (SCLC) is a very aggressive disease characterized by a high response rate to first-line chemotherapy, but most patients relapse within 1 year with disappointing results to second-line treatments. Chemotherapy has reached a plateau of effectiveness and new therapeutic strategies are needed to change the natural history of SCLC.

Areas covered: This review will focus on the current results and the future development of the therapeutic approaches for the treatment of SCLC.

Expert commentary: Immunotherapy is becoming a new frontier for the management of SCLC with preliminary interesting results. To date, no targeted drugs have been approved for clinical practice but several novel agents are in an advanced stage of clinical development in SCLC.

KEYWORDS:

• Durvalumab
• immunotherapy
• ipilimumab
• nivolumab
• pembrolizumab
• rovalpituzumab tesirine
• SCLC
• second-line
• targeted therapy
• tremelimumab

Declaration of interest

A Rossi has acted as a consultant for MSD. R Califano has received honoraria from Bristol-Myers Squibb and MSD. The authors have no other relevant affiliations or financial involvement with any organization or entity with a financial interest in or financial conflict with the subject matter or materials discussed in the manuscript apart from those disclosed. Peer reviewers on this manuscript have no relevant financial or other relationships to disclose.

Additional information

Funding

This manuscript has not been funded.