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CNS Therapy in Small-Cell Lung Cancer

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Basic and Clinical Concepts of Lung Cancer

Part of the book series: Cancer Treatment and Research ((CTAR,volume 45))

Abstract

The management of central nervous system (CNS) metastases constitutes an important part of current treatment strategies in small-cell lung cancer (SCLC). The importance is related to the palliative problems and, generally, to the rarity of cure. This may be due to concomitant disease at other sites, but may also reflect the essentially unchanged treatment strategy during the past 15 years. As early as 1973, shortly after the first reports on the beneficial effect of combination chemotherapy in SCLC, it was predicted that metastases to the central nervous system (CNS) could become a major problem for these patients [1]. This prediction has to a great extent been confirmed, although not as clearly and in the same degree as observed in other malignancies such as acute leukemia and lymphoma [2,3]. Several investigators have described the changes in frequency of CNS metastases and found that they did become more frequent with increasing survival time [4,5]. Accordingly, those with most benefit from current treatment of SCLC are running the highest risk of developing this complication. Some of the fundamental problems in establishing the true dimension of the problem have been described earlier [6].

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Authors
  1. Paul E. G. Kristjansen
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  2. Anders G. Pedersen
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Editors and Affiliations

  1. The Finsen Institute, Rigshospitalet, 49 Strandboulevarden, DK-2100, Copenhagen, Denmark

    Heine H. Hansen

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© 1989 Kluwer Academic Publishers, Boston

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Kristjansen, P.E.G., Pedersen, A.G. (1989). CNS Therapy in Small-Cell Lung Cancer. In: Hansen, H.H. (eds) Basic and Clinical Concepts of Lung Cancer. Cancer Treatment and Research, vol 45. Springer, Boston, MA. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4613-1593-3_16

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4613-1593-3_16

  • Publisher Name: Springer, Boston, MA

  • Print ISBN: 978-1-4612-8882-4

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