Comparison and discussion of the treatment guidelines for small cell lung cancer

Small cell lung cancer (SCLC), which accounts for 15% to 17% of all lung cancers, is one of the leading causes of cancer-related death worldwide. More than 130000 new diagnoses of SCLC and 100000 deaths from the disease were estimated to have occurred in China in 2013. The existing guidelines of SCLC therapeutic principles differ by region. In recent years, new immunotherapy and targeted therapy treatments have been lacking. In order to understand the current status of SCLC treatment in more detail, we identified the similarities and differences among the latest National Comprehensive Cancer Network Clinical Practice Guidelines for SCLC, the Chinese Society of Clinical Oncology Lung Cancer Guidelines, and the European Society for Medical Oncology Clinical Practice Guidelines for Metastatic SCLC, and present a reference of treatment strategies that should prove beneficial for the treatment of patients with SCLC.