New challenges and possibilities in the chemotherapy of small cell lung cancer

The small cell lung cancer is characterized as a rapidly proliferating systemic neoplasm, where the basic treatment modality is the chemotherapy . Even in the surgically treated cases the platina based chemotherapy combination is obligatory before and after the surgical resection, combined with preventiv cranial irradiation to minimize the risk of the cranial metastases. The platina based chemo-radiotherapy is the gold standard in the locally advanced cases. Palliativ local irradiation could be useful for pain relief or decompression in the metastatic cases. Prophylactic cranial irradiation strongly recommended in any cases. There are no newly developed drugs for the treatment of SCLC, however it is a chemosensitive carcinoma. Topotecan could be effective in second or third line therapy , especially in brain metastasis.