Treatment Options by Stage

Limited-Stage Small Cell Lung Cancer
Extensive-Stage Small Cell Lung Cancer

A link to a list of current clinical trials is included for each treatment section. For some types or stages of cancer, there may not be any trials listed. Check with your doctor for clinical trials that are not listed here but may be right for you.

Treatment of limited-stage small cell lung cancer may include the following:

• Combination chemotherapy and radiation therapy to the chest. Radiation therapy to the brain may later be given to patients with complete responses.
• Combination chemotherapy alone for patients who cannot be given radiation therapy.
• Surgery followed by chemotherapy.
• Surgery followed by chemotherapy and radiation therapy.
• Radiation therapy to the brain may be given to patients who have had a complete response, to prevent the spread of cancer to the brain.
• Clinical trials of new chemotherapy, surgery, and radiation treatments.

Check for U.S. clinical trials from NCI's list of cancer clinical trials that are now accepting patients with limited stage small cell lung cancer. For more specific results, refine the search by using other search features, such as the location of the trial, the type of treatment, or the name of the drug. General information about clinical trials is available from the NCI Web site.

Treatment of extensive-stage small cell lung cancer may include the following:

• Combination chemotherapy.
• Radiation therapy to the brain, spine, bone, or other parts of the body where the cancer has spread, as palliative therapy to relieve symptoms and improve quality of life.
• Radiation therapy to the brain may be given to patients who have had a complete response, to prevent the spread of cancer to the brain.
• Clinical trials of new chemotherapy treatments.

Check for U.S. clinical trials from NCI's list of cancer clinical trials that are now accepting patients with extensive stage small cell lung cancer. For more specific results, refine the search by using other search features, such as the location of the trial, the type of treatment, or the name of the drug. General information about clinical trials is available from the NCI Web site.