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What is Extensive Small Cell?

What is Extensive Small Cell?

December 14, 2021
Sanjay Juneja, MD
Sanjay Juneja, MD

Medical Oncology

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Transcript

In extensive small cell lung cancer, the cancer that originated on one side of the lung has either gone to both or spread to the body. Here it can’t be curative and it’s extensive or stage four.

 

We still use the same drugs with carboplatin or cisplatin, usually carboplatin because it’s a little more tolerable as well as etoposide. But now we also use immune therapy with it. And that’s because the studies show that using immune therapy with your cytotoxic chemotherapies actually greatly improves progression-free and overall survival. When you do those cytotoxic chemo cycles, about four cycles, then you just do the immune therapy to maintain your remission or your response.

 

Key Takeaways

1. In extensive small cell lung cancer, the cancer that originated on one side of the lung has either gone to both or spread to the body and can’t be cured.

2. The same chemotherapy drugs (carboplatin or cisplatin) are used but with immune therapy because studies show it greatly improves survival.

3. When you do those cytotoxic chemotherapy cycles, then you just do the immune therapy to maintain your remission or your response.