Chemotherapy strategies in the treatment of small cell lung ... : Anti-Cancer Drugs (original) (raw)

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aSection of Cancer Genetics, Institute of Cancer Research, Sutton, Surrey UK

bLung Unit, Department of Medicine, Royal Marsden Hospital, Sutton, Surrey, UK

Sponsorship: S. P. is funded by a Clinician Scientist Fellowship from the UK Department of Health.

Correspondence to M. O'Brien, Lung Unit, Department of Medicine, Royal Marsden Hospital, Sutton, Surrey SM2 5PT, UK

Tel: +44 20 8642 6011; fax: +44 20 8643 0373;

e-mail: mary.o'[email protected]

Received 12 October 2004 Accepted 1 December 2004

Abstract

Lung cancer is the most prevalent, yet most preventable malignancy worldwide. Given the tendency of small cell lung cancer (SCLC) to early relapse and its subsequent resistance to treatment, there is an urgent need to optimize standard treatment strategies and develop new treatments. Over the last decade, several strategies have been adopted and advances in the molecular biology of lung cancer have identified a number of targets for future therapy. In this article, we review chemotherapy strategies that have been evaluated in the management of patients with SCLC.