New approaches to small cell lung cancer therapy : from the laboratory to the clinic

Small cell lung cancer patient outcomes have not yet been significantly impacted by the revolution in precision oncology, primarily due to a paucity of genetic alterations in actionable driver oncogenes. Nevertheless, systemic therapies that include immunotherapy are beginning to show promise in the clinic. While these results are encouraging, many patients do not respond to or rapidly recur after current regimens, necessitating alternative or complementary therapeutic strategies. In this review, we discuss ongoing investigations into the pathobiology of this recalcitrant cancer and the therapeutic vulnerabilities that are exposed by the disease state. Included within this discussion is a snapshot of the current biomarker and clinical trial landscapes for small cell lung cancer. Finally, we identify key knowledge gaps that should be addressed in order to advance the field in pursuit of reduced small cell lung cancer mortality. This review largely summarizes work presented at the Third Biennial IASLC Small Cell Lung Cancer Meeting.