See the Treatment Options Overview section for information on the treatments listed below.
Limited-stage small cell lung cancer
Treatment for limited-stage small cell lung cancer is shown below:
Combination chemotherapy and radiation therapy to the chest is used. Patients in complete remission can later undergo brain radiotherapy.
For patients who cannot receive radiotherapy, combined chemotherapy alone may be used.
Post-surgical chemotherapy.
Post-operative chemotherapy and radiotherapy
For patients in complete remission, brain radiotherapy may be given to prevent the cancer from spreading to the brain.
Clinical trials of new chemotherapy, surgery, and radiation treatments.
Using our Clinical Trials Search, you can find out which NCI-supported cancer clinical trials are currently enrolling patients. You can search for clinical trials by cancer type, patient age, and trial location. You can also get basic information about clinical trials.
Extensive-stage small cell lung cancer
Treatment for extensive-stage small cell lung cancer is shown below:
Combination chemotherapy.
Radiotherapy is given to patients whose cancer has spread to the brain, spine, bones, or other parts of the body as palliative treatment to relieve symptoms and improve quality of life.
Thoracic radiotherapy may be given to patients who have responded to chemotherapy.
For patients in complete remission, radiation therapy to the brain may be given to prevent the cancer from spreading to the brain.
Clinical trials of new chemotherapy approaches or new immunotherapy with immune checkpoint inhibitors
Using our Clinical Trials Search, you can find out which of the NCI-supported cancer clinical trials are currently enrolling patients. You can search for clinical trials by cancer type, patient age, and trial location. You can also get basic information about clinical trials.