Small cell lung cancer represents approximately 20% of all carcinomas of the lung, and is recognized as having a poor long term outcome compared to non-small cell lung cancers. Therefore, this study investigated the prognostic factors in small cell lung cancer patients in order to improve the survival rate by using the proper therapeutic methods.

The clinical data from 394 patients, who diagnosed with small cell lung cancer and treated from 1993 to 2001 at the Kosin University Gospel Hospital, were analyzed.

There were 314 male patients (79.7%), and 80 female patients (20.3%). The number of those with limited disease was 177 (44.9%), and the number of those with extensive disease was 217 (55.1%). Overall, 366 out of 394 enrolled patients had died. The median survival time was 215 days (95% CI : 192-237days). The disease stage, Karnofsky performance state, 5% body weight loss for the recent 3 months, chemotherapy regimens, and the additive chest radiotherapy were identified as being statistically significant factors for the survival time. The median survival times of the supportive care group, one anticancer therapy, and two or more treatment groups were 71 days, 211 days, and 419 days, respectively (p<0.001). The data emphasizes the importance of anticancer treatment for improving the survival time for patients. The group of concurrent chemoradiotherapy regimens (30 patients) showed a significantly longer survival time than the group given sequential chemoradiotherapy (55 patients) (528 days versus 373 days, p=0.0237). The favorable prognostic factors of the laboratory study were groups of leukocytes ≤8,000/mm³, ALP ≤ 200 U/L, LDH ≤ 450 IU/L, NSE ≤ 15 ng/mL, s-GOT ≤ 40 IU/L.

In extensive disease, there was no difference according to the number of metastatic sites. However, the median survival time of the patients with an ipsilateral pleural effusion was longer than the patients with other metastatic sites.

By the survey periods, three groups were divided into 1993-1995, 1996-1998, and 1999-2001. The median survival time was significantly prolonged after 1999 in comparison to previous groups (177 days, 194 days, 289 days, p=0.001, 0.002, respectively).

Disease stage and 5% body weight loss for the recent 3 months at the diagnostic state were significant prognostic factors. In addition, the performance status, serum ALP, LDH, NSE, CEA levels also appear to be prognostic factors. The survival time of those patients with small cell lung cancer has been prolonged in recent years. It was suggested that the use of the EP (etoposide and cisplatin) chemotherapy method and concurrent chemoradiotherapy for patients with a limited stage contributed to the improved survival time.