Evaluation of Efficacy and Safety in First-Line Treatment Methods for Extensive-Stage Small Cell Lung Cancer: A Comprehensive Comparative Study of Chemotherapy, Targeted Therapy Combined With Chemotherapy, and Immunotherapy Combined With Chemotherapy

Background

Small cell lung cancer (SCLC) is a highly aggressive tumor with limited effectiveness in its standard chemotherapy treatment. Targeted antiangiogenic therapy and immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) have demonstrated potential as alternative treatments for extensive-stage SCLC (ES-SCLC). However, there is insufficient comparative evidence available to determine the optimal first-line treatment option between ICIs plus chemotherapy and targeted antiangiogenic therapy plus chemotherapy.

Objective

This study is aimed at analyzing clinical data from ES-SCLC patients treated at the First Affiliated Hospital of Bengbu Medical College between June 2021 and June 2023. The study compared the efficacy and safety of three first-line treatment regimens: standard chemotherapy, antiangiogenic therapy combined with chemotherapy, and immune combination therapy.

Methods

Patients who met the inclusion criteria were divided into three groups: chemotherapy, immune combination therapy, and antiangiogenic therapy combined with chemotherapy. The study collected data on clinical characteristics, treatment regimens, and adverse reactions. The analysis included objective response rate (ORR), duration of response (DoR), disease control rate (DCR), progression-free survival (PFS), and treatment safety.

Results

A total of 101 patients were included in the study, with 49 receiving chemotherapy alone, 19 receiving antiangiogenic therapy, and 33 receiving immune combination therapy. The ORRs were 78.9% for antiangiogenic therapy, 72.7% for immune combination therapy, and 42.9% for chemotherapy alone. The median PFS was 8.0 months for antiangiogenic therapy, 7.8 months for immune combination therapy, and 5.2 months for chemotherapy alone. Both combination therapy groups demonstrated superior efficacy compared to chemotherapy alone.

Conclusion

Targeted combined chemotherapy and immune combination chemotherapy showed superior efficacy as first-line treatments for ES-SCLC compared to chemotherapy alone, with manageable adverse reactions.