Chemotherapy combined with bevacizumab for small cell lung cancer with brain metastases:A case report

BACKGROUND Small cell lung cancer(SCLC)is a common and aggressive subtype of lung cancer.It is characterized by rapid growth and a high mortality rate.Approximately 10%of patients with SCLC present with brain metastases at the time of diagnosis,which is associated with a median survival of 5 mo.This study aimed to summarize the effect of bevacizumab on the progression-free survival(PFS)and overall survival of patients with brain metastasis of SCLC.CASE SUMMARY A 62-year-old man was referred to our hospital in February 2023 because of dizziness and numbness of the right lower extremity without headache or fever for more than four weeks.The patient was diagnosed with limited-stage SCLC.He received 8 cycles of chemotherapy combined with maintenance bevacizumab therapy and achieved a PFS of over 7 mo.CONCLUSION The combination of bevacizumab and irinotecan effectively alleviated brain metastasis in SCLC and prolonged PFS.

Immunotherapy for Small Cell Lung Cancer

Small cell lung cancer (SCLC) is a poorly differentiated, highly malignant neuroendocrine tumor characterized by rapid growth, aggressiveness, and easy recurrence. It is usually found in late clinical stage and the opportunity for surgery is lost. Therefore, surgery is often not used in clinical treatment. Although it is sensitive to chemoradiotherapy, it has a high recurrence rate and lacks effective treatment methods at present. Following chemotherapy and radiotherapy, immunotherapy for small cell lung cancer has become the mainstream research direction. Immunotherapy is profoundly changing the approach to cancer treatment due to its tolerable safety profile, sustained treatment response due to the production of immune memory, and effectiveness in a broad patient population. Immunotherapy for small cell lung cancer is one of the effective treatment methods for small cell lung cancer, and relevant studies are not rare, but there are still shortcomings such as intolerance of side effects and inaccurate evaluation of treatment timing. This article reviews the history of immunotherapy, the mechanism of action of immunodrugs, and the current immunodrugs used in the first-line treatment of extensive small cell lung cancer.

Analysis and Review of Downregulated Actin Cytoskeletal Proteins in Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer

Actin, a highly conserved protein, plays a dominant role in Non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). Late diagnosis and the aggressive nature of NSCLC pose a significant threat. Studying the clinic pathological properties of NSCLC proteins is a potential alternative for developing treatment strategies. Towards this, 35 downregulated actin cytoskeletal proteins on NSCLC prognosis and treatment were studied by examining their protein-protein interactions, gene ontology enrichment terms, and signaling pathways. Using PubMed, various proteins in NSCLC were identified. The protein-protein interactions and functional associations of these proteins were examined using the STRING database. The focal adhesion signaling pathway was selected from all available KEGG and Wiki pathways because of its role in regulating gene expression, facilitating cell movement and reproduction, and significantly impacting NSCLC. The protein-protein interaction network of the 35 downregulated actin cytoskeleton proteins revealed that ACTG1, ACTR2, ACTR3, ANXA2, ARPC4, FLNA, TLN1, CALD1, MYL6, MYH9, MYH10, TPM1, TPM3, TPM4, PFN1, IQGAP1, MSN, and ZXY exhibited the highest number of interactions. Whereas HSPB1, CTNNA1, KRT17, KRT7, FLNB, SEPT2, and TUBA1B displayed medium interactions, while UTRN, TUBA1B, and DUSP23 had relatively fewer interactions. It was discovered that focal adhesions are critical in connecting membrane receptors with the actin cytoskeleton. In addition, protein kinases, phosphatases, and adapter proteins were identified as key signaling molecules in this process, greatly influencing cell shape, motility, and gene expression. Our analysis shows that the focal adhesion pathway plays a crucial role in NSCLC and is essential for developing effective treatment strategies and improving patient outcomes.

Efficacy and Safety of Primary Radiotherapy in Combination with EGFR-TKIs for Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer Harboring EGFR Mutation

Objective: To evaluate the efficacy and safety of EGFR-TKI with the radiotherapy in EGFR mutant metastatic NSCLC. Methods: Retrospective analysis of 72 patients with stage IV lung cancer with EGFR-sensitive mutation. Patients in the A group were treated with the first-generation EGFR-TKI (Epidermal Growth Factor Receptor Tyrosine Kinase Inhibitor) combined with radiotherapy for primary tumors (34 cases). The B group was treated with the first-generation EGFR-TKI alone until the disease progressed (38 cases). PFS, OS, pulmonary infection and hematological toxicity during treatment were commented in both groups. Results: The objective remission rate was 47.1% (16/34) in the A group and 21.1% (8/38) in the B group. There was a significant difference between the two groups. There was no significant difference in hematological toxicity between the A group and the B group. There were 10 patients (29.4%) with degree II pulmonary infection in the A group and 3 patients (7.9%) in the B group. The difference between the two groups was statistically significant, suggesting that the incidence of pneumonia in the A group was higher than that in the B group. The median PFS (Progression-Free Survival)) and OS (Overall Survival) of the A group were significantly longer than those of the B group (16.5 months vs 9 months) and the median OS (36 months vs 19 months). The PFS and OS in the A group were significantly longer than those in the B group. Conclusion: EGFR-TKI combined with primary radiotherapy can significantly prolong the drug resistance time of EGFR mutant metastatic NSCLC.

Envafolimab combined with chemotherapy in the treatment of combined small cell lung cancer: A case report

BACKGROUND Combined small cell lung cancer(C-SCLC) is a special subtype of small cell lung cancer that is relatively rare, aggressive, and prone to early metastasis and has a poor prognosis. Currently, there are limited studies on C-SCLC, and there is no uniform standard treatment, especially for extensive C-SCLC, which still faces great challenges. In recent years, the development and progress of immunotherapy have provided more possibilities for the treatment of C-SCLC. We used immunotherapy combined with first-line chemotherapy to treat extensive-stage C-SCLC to explore its antitumor activity and safety.CASE SUMMARY We report a case of C-SCLC that presented early with adrenal, rib, and mediastinal lymph node metastases. The patient received carboplatin and etoposide with concurrent initiation of envafolimab. After 6 cycles of chemotherapy, the lung lesion was significantly reduced, and the comprehensive efficacy evaluation showed a partial response. No serious drug-related adverse events occurred during the treatment, and the drug regimen was well tolerated.CONCLUSION Envafolimab combined with carboplatin and etoposide in the treatment of extensive-stage C-SCLC has preliminary antitumor activity and good safety and tolerability.

A Review of the Impact of PD-L1 Expression on the Prognosis of Small Cell Lung Cancer

Small cell lung cancer is an invasive neuroendocrine carcinoma with early metastasis potential. It tends to grow rapidly and metastasize early, with the majority of patients diagnosed as advanced stage small cell lung cancer (ES-SCLC). Systemic treatment consisting of platinum drugs and etoposide chemotherapy is the main treatment method, although the objective effective rate of this combination is 60% - 80%. However, most SCLC patients experience disease progression shortly after initial treatment, with a median overall survival of 10 months. There are few second-line treatment drugs available, and immunotherapy using checkpoint inhibitors has completely changed the treatment of many cancer types. Adding immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICI) to conventional chemotherapy as first-line treatment can improve the survival rate of widespread small cell lung cancer (ES-SCLC), but so far, there are no definitive factors to determine patients who are more likely to benefit from immunotherapy. This review summarizes the results of immunotherapy trials for small cell lung cancer. And a review was conducted on the predictive factors of these trials, with special emphasis on the expression of PD-L1 in small cell lung cancer to determine its clinical value.

Research Progress of Anti-Angiogenic Drugs in First-Line Treatment of Small Cell Lung Cancer

Small Cell Lung Cancer (SCLC) is a low-differentiated neuroendocrine tumor with rapid growth, early metastasis and sensitivity to radiotherapy and chemotherapy. It is highly recurrence rate. And there is lacking effective treatment now. As an active research direction at present, anti-angiogenic drugs are not only widely used in non-small cell lung cancer and other tumors, but also have certain effects in small cell lung cancer combined with chemotherapy. As one of the effective treatment methods for small cell lung cancer, related research is not rare, but there is still inadequacy, such as side effects can not be tolerated, and the timing of treatment can not be accurately assessed. This article will briefly describe the research progress of anti-angiogenic drugs combined with chemotherapy in the first-line treatment of extensive small cell lung cancer.

Is there a place for optimizing thoracic radiotherapy in limited-stage small cell lung cancer after twenty years?

Thoracic radiotherapy(TRT)is one of the main treatments in limited-stage small cell lung cancer(LS-SCLC).Hyperfractionated TRT(45 Gy,1.5 Gy twice daily)has been the standard of care(SOC)since Turrisi and colleagues published the results of their clinical trial in 1999.Two meta-analyses have demonstrated the benefits of concurrent chemotherapy and TRT in terms of intrathoracic disease control at 2 years and 3-year overall survival(OS).The phase 2 trial by Grønberg et al(2016)comparing once-daily hypofractionated TRT to twice-daily hyperfractionated TRT in LS-SCLC found similar outcomes in both groups in terms of response rate,progression-free survival(PFS),grade 3-4 adverse effects,and OS.The CONVERT trial,published in 2017,failed to demonstrate the superiority of the conventional scheme(once-daily TRT)vs twice-daily radiotherapy,despite the application of modern radiotherapy techniques and a quality assurance programme,thus confirming the twice-daily hyperfractionated regimen as the SOC.At the 2020 American Society of Clinical Oncology(ASCO)annual meeting,Grønberg et al reported preliminary findings from a phase 2 trial comparing two different TRT dose regimens(45 Gy vs 60 Gy),both administered twice daily.Those data demonstrated a marked improvement in 2-year survival rates in the high dose arm(70.2%vs 46.1%,P=0.002),despite similar objective response rates and PFS outcomes.Those findings provide a new treatment alternative to consider:Hyperfractionated,high-dose TRT.However,the results of that trial will need to be validated in a large,randomized phase 3 study.The results of the phase 2 CALCG 30610 trial will help to clarify the optimal dose and regimen.The potential role of upfront immunotherapy,which early data suggest may improve OS,also needs to be determined.

Clinical Course Of Patients with Small Cell Lung Cancer As Second Primary Malignancy

Objective： To evaluate the clinical course of patients with small cell lung cancer （SCLC） as second primary malignancy. Methods： Among the 355 patients diagnosed with SCLC at Helen and Harry Gray Cancer Center of Hartford Hospital Connecticut USA between 1988 and 1998, the records of 48 patients, which had been diagnosed with other malignancies before their diagnosis of SCLC, were retro- spectively reviewed. Results： Forty-eight patients （13.5%） were diagnosed with other malignancies prior to their SCLC among which 43 had documented smoking history and 93% of them （40/43） were current/former smokers. Of the 28-second primary SCLC patients who were treated with standard method, 11 （39.3%） achieved CR. 12 （42.8%） achieved PR, and the RR was 82.1%. The median survival of the 28 treated with standard method was 11.3 months （5.1-77.7 months）, while that of the rest 19 untreated patients （1 of 20 was lost to follow-up） was only 2.0 months （0.5 34.0 months）. There was no significant difference in the median survival and RR between 165 treated first primary SCLC （13.5 months and 77.6% respectively） and 28 treated secondary primary SCLC （11.3 months and 82.1% respectively） （P〉0.05）. The patients who had prostate cancer were older and subjected to less treatments than those with skin cancer, so their survival was shorter than the latter （3.5 months vs. 15 months, P〈0.05）. Conclusion： The response and survival of the treated patients with SCLC as a second malignancy showed no difference as compared to the treated ones with SCLC only. Therefore, an active medical treatment is important to relieve symptom and prolong survival of the second primary SCLC patients.

Optimal timing of thoracic irradiation for limited stage small cell lung cancer:Current evidence and future prospects

Lung cancer is a global health concern as the leading cause of cancer related mortality worldwide.Small cell lung cancer(SCLC)poses a formidable challenge to the treating physicians with the worst prognosis among all lung cancers.However,limited stage SCLC(LS-SCLC)has a relatively better outcome with multimodality management.Efforts have been focused on optimal integration of treatment modalities to achieve an improved therapeutic ratio for patients with LS-SCLC.While chemotherapy and thoracic radiation therapy(TRT)are primary components of initial management for LS-SCLC,there is no consensus on optimal timing of TRT.Within this context,we herein provide a concise overview of current evidence and future prospects regarding the optimal timing of thoracic irradiation for LS-SCLC in light of the literature.

Clinical characteristics and response to tyrosine kinase inhibitors of patients with non-small cell lung cancer harboring uncommon epidermal growth factor receptor mutations

Objective： To investigate the clinical features of patients with non-small cell lung cancer（NSCLC） harboring uncommon epidermal growth factor receptor（EGFR） mutations, and the treatment outcomes of EGFR tyrosine kinase inhibitors（TKIs） in these patients.Methods： We retrospectively analyzed the data of 128 NSCLC patients pathologically diagnosed with uncommon EGFR mutation in the Department of Pathology, National Cancer Center/Cancer Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences ＆ Peking Union Medical College and Beijing Hospital from January 2010 to December 2015, including 40 advanced patients who received EGFR-TKI.Results： Among the total 128 patients, 11 patients were non-adenocarcinoma, including squamous carcinoma（3.9%）, adenosquamous carcinoma（2.3%）, large cell carcinoma（0.8%）, and composite neuroendocrine carcinoma（1.6%）. Single mutations accounted for 75.0%（96/128）, including G719X（29.7%）, S768I（18.0%）, 20 exon insertion（13.3%）, L861Q（12.5%）, De novo T790M（0.8%）, and T725（0.8%）. Thirty-two patients harbored complex mutations. Forty advanced patients received EGFR-TKI, the objective response rate（ORR） was 20.0%,the disease control rate（DCR） was 85.0%, and the progression-free survival（PFS） was 6.4 [95% confidence interval（95% CI）, 4.8–7.9] months. The exploratory analysis of tumor response and PFS in 33 patients with G719X/S768I/L861 Q subtypes showed that ORR was 21.2%（7/33）, the DCR was 93.9%（31/33）, and PFS was 7.6（95% CI, 5.8–9.4） months. Patients with exon 20 insertion mutation and De novo T790 M experienced rapid disease progression with PFS no more than 2.7 months.Conclusions： Uncommon EGFR-mutant NSCLCs are heterogeneous, EGFR-TKIs can have different efficacy in this specific subtype, and thus further individual assessment is required for each case.

Nedaplatin/Gemcitabine Versus Carboplatin/Gemcitabine in Treatment of Advanced Non-small Cell Lung Cancer: A Randomized Clinical Trial

Objective： To evaluate the efficacy and safety of nedaplatin/gemcitabine （NG） and carboplatin/gemcitabine （CG） in the management of untreated advanced non-small cell lung cancer （NSCLC）. Methods： Sixty-two patients with previously untreated advanced NSCLC were recruited between June 2006 and November 2007. Subjects were randomly assigned to the NG arm （n=30） and the CG arm （n=32）. Only patients （24 and 25 in the NG and CG arms, respectively） who completed 〉2 chemotherapy cycles were included in the data analysis. The primary outcome measure was the objective response rate （ORR）. The secondary outcome measures included progression-free survival （PFS）, overall survival （OS） and adverse events. Results： There were no statistically significant differences in the efficacy measures （ORR, P=0.305; median PFS, P=0.298, median OS, P=0.961） or in the major adverse events （grade 3/4 neutropenia, P=0.666; grade 3/4 anemia, P=0.263; grade 3/4 thrombocytopenia, P=0.222） between the two treatment arms. However, there was a trend towards higher ORR （37.5% vs. 24.0%）, longer PFS （6.0 vs. 5.0 months）, and less adverse events in the NG arm. Conclusion： NG regimen seems to be superior over CG regimen for advance NSCLS, but further investigation is needed to validate this superiority.

Efficacy and safety evaluation of icotinib in patients with advanced non-small cell lung cancer

Objective： To evaluate the efficacy and safety of icotinib hydrochloride in patients with advanced non-small cell lung cancer （NSCLC）. Methods： A total of 89 patients with stage IIIB or IV NSCLC received icotinib at a dose of 125 mg administered 3 times a day. Icotinib treatment was continued until disease progression or development of unacceptable toxicity. Results： A total of 89 patients were assessable. In patients treated with icotinib, the overall response rate （RR） was 36.0% （32/89）, and the disease control rate （DCR） was 69.7% （62/89）. RR and DCR were significantly improved in patients with adenocarcinoma versus non-adenocarcinoma （P〈0.05）. The symptom improvement rate was 57.3% （51/89）, and the main symptoms improved were cough, pain, chest distress, dyspnea, and Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group performance status. The main toxic effects were rash [30/89 （33.7%）] and diarrhea [15/89 （16.9%）]. The level of toxicity was typically low. Conclusions： The use of icofinib hydrochloride in the treatment of advanced NSCLC is efficacious and safe, and its toxic effects are tolerable.

A Preliminary Analysis of Non-small Cell Lung Cancer Biomarkers in Serum

To identify potential serum biomarkers that could be used to discriminate lung cancers from normal. Methods Proteomic spectra of twenty-eight serum samples from patients with non-small cell lung cancer and twelve from normal individuals were generated by SELDI (Surfaced Enhanced Laser Desorption/Ionization) Mass Spectrometry. Anion-exchange columns were used to fractionate the sera into 6 designated pH groups. Two different types of protein chip arrays, IMAC-Cu and WCX2, were employed. Samples were examined in PBSII Protein Chip Reader (Ciphergen Biosystem Inc) and the discriminatory profiling between cancer and normal samples was analyzed with Biomarker Pattern software. Results Five distinct potential lung cancer biomarkers with higher sensitivity and specificity were found, with four common biomarkers in both IMAC-Cu and WCX2 chip; the remaining biomarker occurred only in WCX2 chip. Two biomarkers were up-regulated while three biomarkers were down-regulated in the serum samples from patients with non-small cell lung cancer. The sensitivities provided by the individual biomarkers were 75%-96.43% and specificities were 75%-100%. Conclusions The preliminary results suggest that serum is a capable resource for detecting specific non-small cell lung cancer biomarkers. SELDI mass spectrometry is a useful tool for the detection and identification of new potential biomarker of non-small cell lung cancer in serum.

Expression of Maspin in Non-small Cell Lung Cancer and Its Relationship to Vasculogenic Mimicry

Maspin belongs to the serine protease inhibitor （serpin） family and has been proven to be a suppressor of tumor growth and metastasis in many types of tumors. The purpose of this study was to investigate the expression of maspin in non-small cell lung cancer （NSCLC） and its relationship to vasculogenic mimicry （VM）. A total of 160 specimens of NSCLC were involved in this study and 20 specimens of normal lung tissue served as controls. VM, microvessel density （MVD） and the expression of maspin were detected by using immunohistochemical staining. The results showed that the positive rates of maspin and VM in the NSCLC group were 48.1% （77/160） and 36.9% （59/160）, respectively, which were significantly different from those in the control group with the positive rates of maspin and VM being 100% and 0% respectively （P〈0.05）. VM, MVD and the expression level of maspin were significantly related to tumor differentiation, lymph node metastasis, clinical stages and postoperative survival time （all P〈0.05）. The maspin expression in patients with squamous cell carcinoma was significantly higher than that in those with adenocarcinoma （P〈0.05）. The maspin expression was negatively correlated with VM and MVD, and there was a positive correlation between VM and MVD. Maspin-negative expression, VM and high MVD score were negatively related to the 5-year-survival rate. PTNM stages, VM, MVD and maspin expression were independent prognostic factors for NSCLC （P〈0.05）. It was suggested that the loss of expression of maspin may participate in the invasion and metastasis of NSCLC and it has a positive relationship to VM in NSCLC. Combined detection of maspin, VM and MVD may help predict the progression and prognosis of NSCLC.

Improvement of Quality of Life with Shenfu Injection (参附注射液) in Non Small Cell Lung Cancer Patients Treated with Gemcitabine plus Cisplatin Regimen

Objective： To observe the effect of Shenfu injection （参附注射液, SFI） in treating non small cell lung cancer （NSCLC） patients on quality of life with gemcitabine （GEM） plus cisplatin （GP） regimen. Methods： Thirty-four patients were ready to receive GP regimen chemotherapy for treating NSCLC disease, according to lot-drawing, they were divided into SFI pre-treatment group （18 cases） and SFI post-treatment group （ 16 cases）. SFI pre-treatment group： During the first treatment course, chemotherapy was begun with SFI 60 ml, intravenous dripping on the 3rd day, once daily, consecutively for 10 days; on the 1st day, GP regimen （GEM 1250 mg/m^2 , intravenous dripping, on the 1st and 8th day; cisplatin 70 mg/m^2 on the 2nd day; 21 days as one cycle） was carried out; in the second treatment course GP regimen was merely given to serve as the self-control. SFI post-treatment group： the medicament sequence order was reversed from that of pre-treatment group. Using dual international quality of life （QOL） scores, the effect of SFI on the patients＂ QOL was observed through randomized self pre- and post- crossover control. Results： The QOL in the 34 patients after being treated by SFI in combination with GP chemotherapy regimen in one group, and GP chemotherapy regimen alone in the other, was improved in different degrees, with significant difference （P〈0.01）; comparision of SFI combined with GP chemotherapy regimen with GP chemotherapy alone showed that QOL in patients was significantly different （P〈0.01）. Conclusion： SFI could improve QOL in patients with NSCLC who were treated with GP regimen.

Autophagy Accompanied with Bisdemethoxycurcumin-induced Apoptosis in Non-small Cell Lung Cancer Cells

Objective To investigate the effects of bisdemethoxycurcumin （BDMC） on non-small cell lung cancer （NSCLC） cell line, A549, and the highly metastatic lung cancer 95D cells. Methods CCK-8 assay was used to assess the effect of BDMC on cytotoxicity. Flow cytometry was used to evaluate apoptosis. Western blot analysis, electron microscopy, and quantification of GFP-LC3 punctuates were used to test the effect of BDMC on autophagy and apoptosis of lung cancer cells. Results BDMC inhibited the viability of NSCLC cells, but had no cytotoxic effects on lung small airway epithelial cells （SAECs）. The apoptotic cell death induced by BDMC was accompanied with the induction of autophagy in NSCLC cells. Blockage of autophagy by the autophagy inhibitor 3-methyladenine （3-MA） repressed the growth inhibitory effects and induction of apoptosis by BDMC. In addition, BDMC treatment significantly decreased smoothened （SMO） and the transcription factor glioma-associated oncogene 1 （G1il） expression. Furthermore, depletion of Gill by siRNA and cyclopamine （a specific SMO inhibitor） induced autophagy. Conclusion Aberrant activation of Hedgehog （Hh） signaling has been implicated in several human cancers, including lung cancers. The present findings provide direct evidence that BDMC-induced autophagy plays a pro-death role in NSCLC, in part, by inhibiting Hedgehog signaling.

PTEN and Ki67 expression is associated with clinicopathologic features of non-small cell lung cancer

Phosphatase and tensin homolog deleted on chromosome 10（PTEN） and the proliferating antigen Ki67 have been widely studied in several tumors.However,their role as indicator in non-small cell lung cancer（NSCLC）remains unknown.Here,we investigated the expression of PTEN and Ki67 in NSCLC tissues and paired normal lung tissues to identify whether these proteins are associated with lung cancer development and survival.Immunohistochemistry for PTEN and Ki67 was performed on 67 lung cancer tissues and 41 paired adjacent normal lung tissues to detect the expression of these two proteins.The expression of PTEN in NSCLC tissues（32.8%） was significantly lower than that in normal tissues（82.9%,P 〈 0.05）.In contrast,the expression of Ki67 in NSCLC tissues（76.1%） was significantly higher than that in normal tissues（27.3%,P 〈 0.05）.Expression of both PTEN and Ki67 were strongly associated with tumor histology,clinical stage,lymph node metastasis,differentiation and4-year postoperative survival rate（P 〈 0.05）.However,PTEN expression was negatively correlated with Ki67 expression（r =-0.279,P 〈 0.05）.In conclusion,low PTEN expression and Ki67 overexpression are associated with malignant invasion and lymph node metastasis of NSCLC.These proteins may serve as diagnostic and prognostic biomarkers of NSCLC.

Clinical Features and Prognostic Factors of Small Cell Lung Cancer:A Retrospective Study in 148 Patients

To better understand the outcomes of small cell lung cancer（SCLC）,we examined the clinical features and prognostic factors of SCLC in this study.A total of 148 patients who were diagnosed as having SCLC between January 2009 and December 2013 in Cancer Center of Union Hospital,Wuhan,China,were enrolled and their clinical features and prognostic factors were retrospectively analyzed.Log-rank test and Cox regression model were employed for analysis of prognostic factors.The 1-and 2-year overall survival（OS） rates were 59.7% and 25.7%,respectively,for limited disease（LD） patients whose median survival time（MST） was 16 months.The 1-and 2-year OS rates were 29.5% and 5.3%,respectively,for extensive disease（ED） patients whose MST was 10 months.The univariate analysis and multivariate analysis revealed that age,tumor stage,serum CEA and Ki-67 antigen were significantly correlated to the outcomes of SCLC,and they were significant prognostic factors for SCLC.

Tumor response assessment by the single-lesion measurement per organ in small cell lung cancer

Background： The criterion of two target lesions per organ in the Response Evaluation Criteria in Solid Tumors （RECIST） version I. 1 is an arbitrary one, being supported by no objective evidence. The optimal number of target lesions per organ still needs to be investigated. We compared tumor responses using the RECIST 1.1 （measuring two target lesions per organ） and modified RECIST I. 1 （measuring the single largest lesion in each organ） in patients with small cell lung cancer （SCLC）. Methods： We reviewed medical records of patients with SCLC who received first-line treatment between January 2004 and December 2014 and compared tumor responses according to the two criteria using computed tomography. Results： There were a total of 34 patients who had at least two target lesions in any organ according to the RECIST 1.1 during the study period. The differences in the percentage changes of the sum of tumor measurements between RECIST 1.1 and modified RECIST 1.1 were all within 13%. Seven patients showed complete response and fourteen showed partial response according to the RECIST I.I. The overall response rate was 61.8%. When assessing with the modified RECIST 1.1 instead of the RECIST 1.1, tumor responses showed perfect concordance between the two criteria （k= 1.0）. Conclusions： The modified RECIST 1.I showed perfect agreement with the original RECIST 1.I in the assessment of tumor response of SCLC. Our result suggests that it may be enough to measure the single largest target lesion per organ for evaluating tumor response.