Whats the evidence for intensive chemotherapy for small-cell lung cancer?
There is quite a lot of research comparing intensive chemotherapy with standard chemotherapy. But the results are mixed and there’s no clear evidence that intensive chemotherapy is any better than standard chemotherapy. One summary of research (called a systematic review) looked at studies involving almost 5,500 people with small-cell lung cancer.[1] The people who had intensive chemotherapy lived for about 12 months, compared with about 10 months for people who had the usual doses of chemotherapy. A different summary of research looked at two other studies that included more than 500 people. It found that people who had intensive chemotherapy weren’t more likely to live longer.[2] References Tjan-Heijnen VC, Wagener DJ, Postmus PE. An analysis of chemotherapy dose and dose-intensity in small-cell lung cancer: lessons to be drawn. Annals of Oncology. 2002; 13: 1519-1530. Murray N, Livingston RB, Shepherd FA, et al. Randomized study of CODE versus alternating CAV/EP for extensive-stage
