Immunotherapy for small cell lung cancer: progresses and challenges
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Abstract:
[Abstract] Small cell lung cancer (SCLC) is the most aggressive type of lung cancer, accounting for approximately 13% to 15% of all lung cancer cases. Although SCLC patients are highly responsive to chemotherapy and radiotherapy at their initial treatment, they are prone to relapse, leading to a low survival rate. Since 2018, with the success of the IMpower133 and CASPIAN trials, SCLC has entered the era of immunotherapy. Chemotherapy combined with immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) has become the standard firstline treatment for extensive-stage SCLC. Meanwhile, immunotherapy has also achieved preliminary success in limited-stage SCLC. Despite some progress in SCLC immunotherapy, the overall survival benefit remains limited. There is a lack of effective predictive biomarkers, and treatment options for relapsed/refractory SCLC are scarce, posing significant challenges to the future of immunotherapy in SCLC. In this article, the latest clinical research on SCLC immunotherapy, both domestically and internationally, is reviewed, different types of immunotherapeutic agents, biomarkers, and novel immunotherapy targets are analyzed, and the combination strategies and future prospects of SCLC immunotherapy are discussed.