title: Medical treatment of small cell lung cancer: state of the art and new development.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Small cell lung cancer (SCLC) is a rapidly progressive disease that accounts for approximately 15% of all lung cancers. Chemotherapy remains the cornerstone of treatment of SCLC, but in the last two decades, its progress has reached a plateau. Although a significant sensitivity to chemotherapy and radiotherapy is a feature of SCLC, an early development of drug resistance unavoidable occurs during the course of the disease. Second-line treatment for relapsed patients remains a very challenging setting, with a limited clinical benefit.
  
  
  METHODS
  A thorough analysis of various therapeutic strategies reported in literature for SCLC treatment was performed. This review includes novel therapeutic approaches such as maintenance or consolidation treatments, new chemotherapy agents and targeted therapy.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Against this background, there is a desperate need for the development of novel active drugs. Among these, amrubicin has also shown more favourable antitumor activity, and is the most promising at present. Concerning targeted agents, these have failed to demonstrate effectiveness for SCLC and a better understanding of the molecular mechanisms is clearly needed. In the future, further investigations are required to clarify the role of novel anti-angiogenic or pro-apoptotic agents and hedgehog pathway inhibitors.
authors.affiliation: Second University of Naples, Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine , Naples , Italy.
authors.forename: Assunta
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Sgambato
authors.forename: Francesca
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Casaluce
authors.forename: Paolo
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Maione
authors.forename: Antonio
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Rossi
authors.forename: Paola Claudia
authors.initials: PC
authors.lastname: Sacco
authors.forename: Filomena
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Panzone
authors.forename: Fortunato
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Ciardiello
authors.forename: Cesare
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Gridelli
mesh_terms: D000970:Antineoplastic Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D006801:Humans; D008175:Lung Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy*; D058990:Molecular Targeted Therapy; D055752:Small Cell Lung Carcinoma / Q000188:drug therapy*
chemical_list: D000970:Antineoplastic Agents