Effective Treatment for Resistant Small Cell Lung Cancer: Promising Results from MedUni Vienna Study

2023-09-21 08:26:02

21. September 2023 – 10:26

Small cell lung cancer is still associated with high mortality among those affected. This type accounts for around 15 percent of all diagnosed lung cancers. The main reason for the poor prognosis for the disease is that a relapse occurs within just five to 14 months following the initial diagnosis and the tumor cells often develop resistance to chemotherapy, as the MedUni Vienna announced on Thursday.

Lung cancer is one of the deadliest types of tumors

Current research work led by Balazs Döme and Karin Schelch from MedUni Vienna now shows that resistant cell lines can be successfully combated with the combination of two already available therapeutic agents. The study results were published in the journal “Clinical Cancer Research”. It would provide a promising approach for the development of new therapies for this particularly aggressive type of tumor.

Small cell lung cancer divided into subtypes

The study follows previous findings by Döme’s research group, according to which small cell lung cancer (SCLC) can be divided into subtypes. The subtypes each respond differently to chemotherapy drugs and targeted drugs. This special form of tumor (SCLC), which usually occurs in smokers, has rapid growth and a high tendency to metastasize. Around 70 percent of advanced cases of the disease are fatal within a year. “The high mortality rate is due to the fact that almost all patients experience a rapid relapse of the disease, which is often accompanied by resistance to therapy,” said study leader Schelch from the University Clinic for Thoracic Surgery at MedUni Vienna.

The study results would now point to a possible solution: Histone deaceylase inhibitors (HDACi) in combination with standard chemotherapy drugs might achieve positive results. “This made it possible to significantly slow down the growth of those tumor cells that were resistant to individual therapy,” said the MedUni statement.

The analysis would also decipher the molecular mechanism underlying therapy resistance. “Our results can provide the basis for research into successful new therapies that are superior to the resistance mechanisms of SCLC,” said lead author Anna Solta, also from the University Clinic for Thoracic Surgery at MedUni Vienna.

Service: Study online https://doi.org/10.1158/1078-0432.CCR-23-1795

(APA/ed, Photo: APA/APA/dpa/Felix Hörhager)

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