Resected small cell lung cancer—time for more?

Small cell lung cancer (SCLC) often presents with either regional or systemic metastases, but approximately 4% of patients present with a solitary pulmonary nodule. Surgical resection can be an option for these patients and is endorsed by the National Comprehensive Cancer Network (NCCN) guidelines. There are no prospective randomized clinical trials evaluating the role of adjuvant systemic therapy in these resected SCLC patients. A recent National Cancer Database analysis found that the receipt of adjuvant chemotherapy alone [hazard ratio (HR), 0.78; 95% CI, 0.63–0.95] or with brain radiation (HR, 0.52; 95% CI, 0.36–0.75) was associated with significantly improved survival as compared to surgery alone. As it is unlikely that a randomized prospective clinical trial addressing this question will be completed, these data should assist with decision making in these patients.