"The state of the art" toward defining the role of radiation therapy in the management of small cell bronchogenic carcinoma.

Abstract

Abstract This review article discusses the “state of the art” in defining the role of radiotherapy in managing small cell bronchogenic carcinoma (SCBC). It reviews the history of therapeutic approaches to SCBC. Several issues of particular interest to limited disease are discussed. They are: local radiation therapy for limited disease, combined radiation therapy and chemotherapy in limited disease, combination chemotherapy alone for limited disease, and an overview of the treatment of limited disease. A section on extensive disease discusses the role of radiation therapy and chemotherapy, chemotherapy only for extensive disease, and an overview of the treatment of extensive disease. An additional section discusses the use of elective brain irradiation in small cell bronchogenic carcinoma.