Small cell lung cancer transformation during antitumor therapies: A systematic review

Lung cancer is the most common cause of cancer-related death. Non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) and small cell lung cancer (SCLC) are the two major histological categories of lung cancers. Drug resistance is a great challenge for cancer treatment, and histological transformation from NSCLC to SCLC...

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Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Chai Xing, Zhang Xinru, Li Wenqian, Chai Jin
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: De Gruyter 2021-08-01
Series:Open Medicine
Subjects:
Online Access:https://doi.org/10.1515/med-2021-0321
Description
Summary:Lung cancer is the most common cause of cancer-related death. Non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) and small cell lung cancer (SCLC) are the two major histological categories of lung cancers. Drug resistance is a great challenge for cancer treatment, and histological transformation from NSCLC to SCLC is one of the mechanisms underlying drug resistance in NSCLC patients. SCLC-transformed patients show combined characteristics of NSCLC and SCLC; however, they lack timely diagnoses and effective treatment strategies. Thus, we reviewed the clinical characteristics of SCLC transformation patients with a literature search to enhance clinical consciousness, diagnosis, and personalized treatment for patients with it.
ISSN:2391-5463