Patterns of Disease and Treatment Among Long-Term Survivors With Small-Cell Lung Cancer
Kübra Canarslan11Department of Medical Oncology, Mehmet Akif İnan Training and Research Hospital, Şanlıurfa, Türkiye
Objectives: Long-term survival in small-cell lung cancer (SCLC) is uncommon and poorly characterized. We aimed to describe the clinical, treatment-related, and survival features of patients with SCLC surviving at least 36 months. Methods: This single-center retrospective cohort included patients with pathologically confirmed SCLC diagnosed between 2013 and 2023. Long-term survival was defined as overall survival (OS) of at least 36 months. Clinical and treatment data were collected from electronic records. Survival was estimated using Kaplan–Meier methods. No patient received immune checkpoint inhibitors. Results: Among 396 evaluable patients, 53 (13.4%) achieved long-term survival; 41 (77.4%) had limited-stage and 12 (22.6%) extensive-stage disease. Among limited-stage survivors, 10 underwent surgery, 23 received concurrent chemoradiotherapy, and 21 had no documented recurrence; 65.0% of relapses were platinum-sensitive. Among extensivestage survivors, 75.0% had a single metastatic site and 58.3% received consolidative thoracic radiotherapy. Median OS was 63.1 months overall, 63.1 months in limited-stage, and 53.7 months in extensive-stage disease. Post-landmark OS did not differ significantly by stage (p=0.78). Conclusion: Long-term survival occurred in a small but clinically meaningful subgroup. Limited disease burden, multimodality treatment, durable disease control, and platinum sensitivity may characterize favorable outcomes, although these associations require confirmation in larger comparative studies including contemporary treatment cohorts. Keywords: Prognosis, small cell lung carcinoma, survival analysis
Cite This Article
Canarslan K. Patterns of Disease and Treatment Among Long-Term Survivors With Small-Cell Lung Cancer. EJMI. 2026; 10(4): 500-507
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