Study objective: To assess the outcome after retreatment of patients with small cell lung cancer (SCLC) who redevelop small cell cancer (SCC) 2 or more years after initial therapy.
Design: Retrospective analysis.
Setting: Single government institution: the National Cancer Institute.
Patients: Twenty patients who redeveloped SCC among 65 patients who survived 2 or more years after starting treatment for their initial cancer.
Measurements: The response rate of patients after retreatment, the survival duration from the time of redevelopment of SCC, and the toxicities of retreatment.
Results: Twenty patients redeveloped SCC: 18 with a relapse and 2 with a second primary cancer. Sixteen received treatment after they redeveloped SCLC while four did not. Eleven patients were retreated with chemotherapy alone, two patients received chemotherapy plus chest radiotherapy, one patient received radiotherapy alone, one patient underwent lobectomy, and one patient was treated with a monoclonal antibody followed by chemotherapy. Nine of 16 patients (56%) treated after they redeveloped SCLC had an objective response (3 complete and 6 partial). The median survival of all 20 patients after they redeveloped SCC was 3.9 months (range, 0 to 46 months). The median survival of the patients who were retreated was 6.5 months (range, 1 to 46 months).
Conclusions: Patients who suffer relapses with SCLC 2 or more years from diagnosis are candidates for retreatment.