Dr. Owonikoko on Standard of Care for SCLC

Taofeek K. Owonikoko, MD, PhD, professor, Department of Hematology and Medical Oncology, Emory University School of Medicine, discusses current standard of care treatments for patients with small cell lung cancer (SCLC).

Currently, the standard of care for SCLC is evolving; new options are arising and changing how treatment has been performed in the past, Owonikoko explains. Newly diagnosed patients with extensive-stage disease are given a combination of chemotherapy plus immunotherapy. For patients with limited-stage disease, chemotherapy plus radiation is still used. Treatment can vary based on how radiation is delivered, says Owonikoko. For patients who can manage stronger treatment, Owonikoko suggests giving radiation twice a day; however, when this dosing schedule is not feasible, patients can receive radiation once per day.

Now that immunotherapy is part of standard frontline care, new data are necessary to guide new treatment options for this patient population, concludes Owonikoko.

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