Radiation to the Brain Should Become Standard Therapy for Extensive-disease Small Cell Lung Cancer

According to results recently published in the New England Journal of Medicine, prophylactic cranial radiation following treatment with chemotherapy should now become a standard treatment option for patients with extensive-disease small cell lung cancer (SCLC).

Lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer-related deaths in the United States and Europe. There are two main types of lung cancer: small cell lung cancer and non–small cell lung cancer. The distinction in lung cancer types often determines treatment options because each type responds differently to treatment. SCLC accounts for approximately 25% of lung cancers and is considered to be very fast growing.

Extensive-stage SCLC refers to cancer that has spread from the lung to different sites in the body. Current treatment options for SCLC include surgery, chemotherapy, and radiation. Approximately two-thirds of patients diagnosed with SCLC have extensive-stage SCLC, and a significant portion of these patients ultimately develop cancer spread to the brain (brain metastasis).

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