[Origin of small cell lung cancers].
Undifferentiated small cell lung cancer differs from the other types of primary lung cancer in its neuroendocrine origin, its important potential for metastatic dissemination and its sensitivity to antimitotic drugs. These specific features condition the originality of its clinical presentation which frequently includes paraneoplastic endocrine syndromes. The frequent metastases are responsible for its poor prognosis and raise difficult methodological problems since the detection of metastatic sites depends on the sensitivity and specificity of the tests used to identify these sites. Chemotherapy, which is very active against this type of tumour, forms the basis of the conventional treatment where 2 sets of drug combinations are administered: either anthracycline + epidophyllotoxin + alkylating agent, or platinum salt + epidophyllotoxin. Owing to haematopoietic myeloid growth factors, dosage intensification, in the hope of overcoming the chemoresistance mechanisms responsible for the usually very temporary response, opens new and promising research lines.
Service de pneumologie, hôpital cardiovasculaire et pneumologique Louis-Pradel, Lyon.
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D000477:Alkylating Agents / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000627:therapeutic use; D000903:Antibiotics, Antineoplastic / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000627:therapeutic use; D000971:Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols; D018288:Carcinoma, Small Cell / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000188:drug therapy; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D006801:Humans; D008175:Lung Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000188:drug therapy; D009362:Neoplasm Metastasis; D010984:Platinum / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000627:therapeutic use; D011034:Podophyllotoxin / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000627:therapeutic use
D000477:Alkylating Agents; D000903:Antibiotics, Antineoplastic; D010984:Platinum; D011034:Podophyllotoxin