Overview
SCLC is an aggressive type of lung cancer that accounts for 15% of all lung cancers. It grows and spreads rapidly, often metastasizing early.
Symptoms
- •Persistent cough
- •Shortness of breath
- •Chest pain
- •Coughing up blood
- •Rapid weight loss
- •Fatigue
- •Hoarseness
- •Difficulty swallowing
Stages
Limited Stage (confined to one lung and nearby lymph nodes)Extensive Stage (spread beyond one lung)
Diagnosis
- ✓Chest X-ray
- ✓CT scan
- ✓PET-CT scan
- ✓Bronchoscopy with biopsy
- ✓Sputum cytology
- ✓Brain MRI (to check for metastases)
- ✓Bone scan
Treatments
- →Combination chemotherapy (cisplatin + etoposide)
- →Radiation therapy (chest + prophylactic cranial irradiation)
- →Immunotherapy (atezolizumab, durvalumab)
- →Surgery (rare, only for very early stage)
- →Supportive care
Risk Factors
⚠️Smoking (99% of cases)
⚠️Secondhand smoke
⚠️Radon exposure
⚠️Asbestos exposure
⚠️Family history of lung cancer
Key Facts
- ℹ️5-year survival: 7% (extensive stage), 27% (limited stage)
- ℹ️Nearly all cases linked to smoking
- ℹ️High risk of brain metastases
- ℹ️Responds well to initial chemotherapy but often recurs
- ℹ️Prophylactic cranial irradiation reduces brain metastases by 50%
ICD-10: C34.9 | Prevalence: yaygın
Last updated: 11/9/2025