Small Cell Lung Carcinoma: Current Diagnosis, Biomarkers, and Treatment Options with Future Perspectives

• Published in: Biomedicines Vol. 11; no. 7; p. 1982
• Main Authors: Krpina, Kristina, Vranić, Semir, Tomić, Krešimir, Samaržija, Miroslav, Batičić, Lara
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Switzerland MDPI AG 01-07-2023; MDPI
• Subjects: Biological markers; Biomarkers; Biopsy; Cancer; Cancer therapies; Carcinogens; Cell cycle; Chemotherapy; Cyclin-dependent kinases; Diagnosis; Genes; Health aspects; Immunotherapy; Kinases; Ligands; Lung cancer; Lung carcinoma; Malignancy; Medical prognosis; Metastases; Metastasis; Mortality; Mutation; Radiation therapy; Review; Small cell lung carcinoma; small cell lung carcinoma (SCLC); Smoking; therapeutic targets; Tobacco; Tumors; diagnosis; therapeutic targets; small cell lung carcinoma (SCLC); biomarkers
• ISSN: 2227-9059; 2227-9059
• DOI: 10.3390/biomedicines11071982

Small cell lung cancer (SCLC) is an aggressive malignancy characterized by rapid proliferation, early dissemination, acquired therapy resistance, and poor prognosis. Early diagnosis of SCLC is crucial since most patients present with advanced/metastatic disease, limiting the potential for curative treatment. While SCLC exhibits initial responsiveness to chemotherapy and radiotherapy, treatment resistance commonly emerges, leading to a five-year overall survival rate of up to 10%. New effective biomarkers, early detection, and advancements in therapeutic strategies are crucial for improving survival rates and reducing the impact of this devastating disease. This review aims to comprehensively summarize current knowledge on diagnostic options, well-known and emerging biomarkers, and SCLC treatment strategies and discuss future perspectives on this aggressive malignancy.