title: Emerging drugs for small cell lung cancer--an update.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Small cell lung cancer (SCLC) is a biologically complex tumor whose medical treatment has remained largely unchanged over the last 30 years. The frustration for the invariably negative results reported in the early 2000s in clinical studies investigating new agents for this disease have contributed to the little interest shown by pharmaceutical industries in funding SCLC research. However, recent advances in the molecular understanding of the oncogenic mechanisms underlying SCLC have renewed the attraction for the clinical development of novel active drugs for the treatment of this challenging disease.
  
  
  METHODS
  The authors briefly touch on the most promising agents under clinical development for the treatment of SCLC, either chemotherapeutic or targeted drugs. Relevant and recent (2 years) studies obtained through Pubmed literature research or released at International scientific meetings are presented.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The data discussed herein provide evidence in support of the fact that only rationally designed clinical trials including relevant translational research may lead to successful results. Therefore, a thoughtful change in trial construction is crucial for the approval of new active drugs for this orphan disease.
authors.affiliation: Division of Medical Oncology, Santa Maria della Misericordia Hospital, Azienda Ospedaliera di Perugia, Via Dottori, 1, 06156 Perugia, Italy. giulio.metro@yahoo.com
authors.forename: Giulio
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Metro
authors.forename: Simona
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Duranti
authors.forename: Matthias Joachim
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Fischer
authors.forename: Federico
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Cappuzzo
authors.forename: Lucio
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Crinò
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000970:Antineoplastic Agents / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use; D017209:Apoptosis / Q000187:drug effects; D002986:Clinical Trials as Topic; D055808:Drug Discovery; D053823:Hedgehog Proteins / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors; D006801:Humans; D008175:Lung Neoplasms / Q000098:blood supply / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D009389:Neovascularization, Pathologic / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D055752:Small Cell Lung Carcinoma / Q000098:blood supply / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology
chemical_list: D000970:Antineoplastic Agents; D053823:Hedgehog Proteins