Small Cell Lung Cancer
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Jun 01 – Jun 08, 2026
Sintilimab plus concurrent chemoradiotherapy for treatment of locally advanced small cell lung cancer (SINCE-01): a phase II clinical trial.
SIGNAL TRANSDUCT TAR · Q1 JOURNAL - RANK #1/319TOP-TIER
This single-arm phase II trial evaluated sintilimab combined with concurrent chemoradiotherapy (CCRT) in 22 patients with histologically confirmed limited-stage small cell lung cancer and good performance status. Patients received four 3-weekly chemotherapy cycles plus sintilimab with thoracic radiation (45 Gy in 30 fractions); the primary endpoint was progression-free survival (PFS). After 44.7 months median follow-up, median PFS was 29.6 months (12- and 24-month PFS 72.7% and 54.5%), median overall survival 40.6 months (12- and 24-month OS 95.5% and 72.7%), and objective response rate 95.5%; grade 3–4 toxicities were mainly hematologic, pneumonitis occurred in 3 patients (≥G2 in one), and no treatment-related deaths occurred. Higher tumor HLA-I expression correlated with longer PFS, supporting concurrent sintilimab-CCRT as effective with manageable safety.
10.1038/s41392-026-02668-7
SEZ6-targeting antibody-drug conjugate ABBV-706 in advanced small cell lung cancer and solid tumors: a phase 1 trial.
NAT MED · Q1 JOURNAL - RANK #1/195TOP-TIER
This open-label, phase 1 clinical trial assessed the safety, tolerability, pharmacokinetics, immunogenicity, and antitumor activity of ABBV-706, a SEZ6-targeting antibody-drug conjugate, in 288 patients with advanced solid tumors, with a focus on 124 relapsed/refractory (R/R) small cell lung cancer (SCLC) patients. ABBV-706 was administered intravenously every 3 weeks, with safety outcomes highlighting anemia (61%) and fatigue (38%) as the most common treatment-related adverse events in the monotherapy cohort, and grade 3 or higher adverse events in 61% of R/R SCLC patients. Efficacy data showed an objective response rate of 52% in R/R SCLC, with comparable ORRs (56% and 59%) between 1.8 mg/kg and 2.5 mg/kg doses and median overall survival of 12.4 months at 1.8 mg/kg. The study concluded 1.8 mg/kg as the recommended phase 2 dose based on safety and efficacy.
10.1038/s41591-026-04452-0
May 25 – Jun 01, 2026
Durvalumab plus anlotinib versus durvalumab alone as maintenance treatment in extensive-stage small-cell lung cancer (DURABLE): a multicenter, randomized, phase II trial and biomarker analysis.
NAT COMMUN · Q1 JOURNAL - RANK #10/135TOP-TIER
The DURABLE trial was a prospective, multicenter, randomized phase II study (NCT04985851) comparing durvalumab plus anlotinib versus durvalumab alone as maintenance therapy in 66 patients with extensive-stage small-cell lung cancer (ES-SCLC) after first-line durvalumab plus platinum-etoposide chemotherapy. The primary endpoint, progression-free survival (PFS), showed a median of 5.4 months for the durvalumab plus anlotinib group versus 1.9 months for durvalumab alone (HR=0.64; 80% CI, 0.44-0.94; p=0.12), with grade 3-4 adverse events occurring in 24.2% and 12.5% of patients, respectively. Biomarker analysis indicated improved outcomes with combined therapy in patients with impaired antigen presenting capacity or low bTMB. The study concludes that durvalumab plus anlotinib is a potentially effective and well-tolerated maintenance option for ES-SCLC.
10.1038/s41467-026-73562-7
May 04 – May 11, 2026
Brief Report: Mature Outcomes of 61.2 Gy Concomitant Boost Thoracic Radiotherapy in Limited Stage Small Cell Lung Cancer: CALGB 30610 (Alliance) / RTOG 0538.
INT J RADIAT ONCOL · Q1 JOURNAL - RANK #14/212
This prospective, randomized phase III clinical trial evaluated mature outcomes of 61.2 Gy concomitant boost (CB) thoracic radiotherapy (TRT) in limited stage small cell lung cancer (LSCLC) within the CALGB 30610/RTOG 0538 trial. After median follow-up of 115 months, median overall survival was 32.3 months (95% CI: 20.4-44.8) and median progression-free survival was 15.4 months (95% CI: 10.0-24.0). The authors conclude that CB TRT outcomes appear similar to contemporaneous trials using 45 Gy twice-daily or 70 Gy once-daily TRT, with grade 3-4 non-hematologic adverse events at 40.9% and 25% respectively. This study provides the largest prospective dataset using 61.2 Gy CB TRT for LSCLC.
10.1016/j.ijrobp.2026.04.086
Apr 20 – Apr 27, 2026
BLOCKADE OF TUMOR-INTRINSIC TGF-Β SIGNALING DRIVES HYPERPROGRESSION IN SMALL CELL LUNG CANCER.
CANCER DISCOV · Q1 JOURNAL - RANK #10/326TOP-TIER
This prospective clinical trial evaluated bintrafusp alfa, a bifunctional PD-L1/TGF-β inhibitor, in patients with small cell lung cancer. Among 34 evaluable patients, the objective response rate was 18% partial responses, 20% stable disease, and 62% progressive disease, with 38% of progressors meeting criteria for hyperprogressive disease (HPD). The findings demonstrate that tumor-intrinsic TGF-β signaling restrains proliferation, and its blockade can trigger hyperproliferation, correlating HPD with systemic immune suppression. The study concludes that TGF-β has a context-dependent, growth-constraining function, supporting the need for tumor-intrinsic biomarker guidance when targeting stromal immunosuppressive pathways.
10.1158/2159-8290.CD-25-1454
Apr 13 – Apr 20, 2026
Five-year overall survival in JCOG1205/1206: irinotecan or etoposide plus cisplatin for resected high-grade neuroendocrine carcinoma of the lung.
LUNG CANCER · Q1 JOURNAL - RANK #19/108
This randomized, open-label, phase III trial (JCOG1205/1206) evaluated long-term overall survival comparing adjuvant irinotecan plus cisplatin (IP) versus etoposide plus cisplatin (EP) in patients with completely resected pathological Stage I–IIIA high-grade neuroendocrine carcinoma of the lung. A total of 221 patients were randomized (EP n=111; IP n=110), with primary endpoint relapse-free survival (RFS) and secondary endpoint overall survival (OS), and analyses performed 5 years after last enrollment; a central pathological review was also conducted. Three- and five-year RFS were 68.5% and 65.7% in EP versus 71.8% and 65.2% in IP (HR 1.026, 95% CI 0.670–1.569), while three- and five-year OS were 85.6% and 73.5% in EP versus 83.6% and 72.4% in IP (HR 1.175, 95% CI 0.742–1.861); the concordance of institutional versus central pathology was 75.6% (95% CI 69.4%–81.1%). The study concluded there was no significant difference in RFS or OS between EP and IP as adjuvant chemotherapy for resected high-grade neuroendocrine carcinoma of the lung.
10.1016/j.lungcan.2026.109386
Apr 06 – Apr 13, 2026
SKYSCRAPER-02C: A Phase 3, Randomized, Double-Blind, Placebo-Controlled Study of Atezolizumab Plus Carboplatin and Etoposide With or Without Tiragolumab in Patients With Untreated Extensive-Stage Small Cell Lung Cancer in China.
J THORAC ONCOL · Q1 JOURNAL - RANK #3/108TOP-TIER
The study aimed to evaluate the efficacy, safety, and biomarker findings of tiragolumab plus atezolizumab plus carboplatin/etoposide (CE) versus atezolizumab plus CE in untreated extensive-stage small-cell lung cancer (ES-SCLC) patients in China, using a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled Phase 3 design. Patients were randomized 1:1 to receive tiragolumab 600 mg or placebo plus atezolizumab 1200 mg and CE for four cycles, followed by maintenance therapy. Median progression-free survival (PFS) was 5.6 months in the experimental arm versus 5.4 months in the control arm (HR = 0.65, 95% CI: 0.43‒0.97), and median overall survival (OS) was 18.7 months versus 13.5 months (HR = 0.89, 95% CI: 0.56‒1.40). The study concluded that tiragolumab was well-tolerated and showed numerical improvements in PFS and OS, with biomarker analysis suggesting potential benefits for specific molecular subtypes and immune signatures.
10.1016/j.jtho.2026.103713
Efficacy and safety of albumin-bound paclitaxel combined with simvastatin in the second-line treatment of small cell lung cancer: a phase II randomized controlled trial.
BMC MED · Q1 JOURNAL - RANK #19/332
The study aimed to evaluate the efficacy and safety of albumin-bound paclitaxel combined with simvastatin as second-line treatment for small-cell lung cancer (SCLC) through a phase II randomized controlled trial. Patients were randomized to receive either nab-paclitaxel alone or in combination with simvastatin, with primary and secondary endpoints including disease control rate (DCR), objective response rate (ORR), progression-free survival (PFS), overall survival (OS), and safety. Results showed significantly higher DCR (92.9% vs. 44.4%, P=0.005), ORR (50.0% vs. 11.1%, P=0.017), and median PFS (113 vs. 62 days; HR=0.42, 95% CI=0.19-0.92; P=0.029) in the combination group, with no significant OS difference and manageable toxicities. The study concluded that nab-paclitaxel plus simvastatin improved DCR, ORR, and PFS with acceptable toxicity in second-line SCLC treatment.
10.1186/s12916-026-04835-7
Mar 30 – Apr 06, 2026
Treatment monitoring by biomarker analysis in a Phase I dose-expansion study of AZD2811 for relapsed/refractory small-cell lung cancer.
BRIT J CANCER · Q1 JOURNAL - RANK #47/326
This Phase I dose-expansion study evaluated the nanoparticle-formulated AURKB inhibitor AZD2811 in 21 patients with relapsed/refractory small-cell lung cancer, administering 500 mg IV every 21 days with granulocyte colony-stimulating factor support. The study reported an objective response rate of 4.8% (1 partial response) and stable disease ≥6 weeks in 47.6% of patients (10/21), with grade ≥3 treatment-related adverse events occurring in 15 patients (71.4%). Key findings included prognostic baseline ctDNA levels, on-treatment ctDNA changes that mirrored clinical response, and molecular profiling demonstrating pharmacodynamic activity. The authors concluded that a personalised biomarker surveillance strategy may provide a novel monitoring approach for SCLC, supporting further clinical investigation.
10.1038/s41416-026-03414-0