Combined modality therapy for small cell lung cancer.

Small cell carcinoma is one of the solid cancers for which chemotherapy is effective and can prolong the survival of patients. There is a general agreement that the standard regimen is PVP (cisplatin/etoposide) or alternating PVP-CAV (cyclophosphamide/doxorubicin/vincristine) therapy, replacing CAV, which had been considered standard. For the improvement of the treatment results of small cell carcinoma combined modality therapy including radiotherapy and/or surgery is essential, especially against limited disease. The effect of prophylactic cranial irradiation is obscure, because of the relapse to other sites of organs and the late complications of brain radiation. The present status of combined modality therapy for small cell carcinoma is reviewed and the future essential trials are discussed.