BACKGROUNDTo study the efficacy and long-term survival of high-dose chemotherapy supported by autologous peripheral blood stem cell transplantation (APBSCT) in the treatment of small cell lung cancer (SCLC)..

METHODSSeven patients with pathologically confirmed SCLC were enrolled into the study, including 6 patients who had achieved CR or PR after conventional chemotherapy, and 1 patient who underwent surgical treatment and 6 cycles of conventional postoperative chemotherapy. All patients received a high-dose chemotherapy regimen of cyclophosphamide 6 g/m², etoposide 1.2 g/m², carboplatin 1.2 g/m² following APBSCT. Six of 7 patients received local radiotherapy after the procedure, however, another patient over 60 years did not receive local radiotherapy because of pneumonia complication. All patients were consecutively followed up and median follow-up duration was 27 (25-82) months.

RESULTSSurvival of the 7 patients was longer than 2 years. Three patients were still alive for more than 5 years after treatment, and the longest one up to 82 months. Three patients died and their survival time was 26, 27 and 27 months respectively.

CONCLUSIONSHigh-dose chemotherapy supported by APBSCT combined with local radiotherapy may be helpful to prolong survival and improve prognosis for SCLC, especially to those patients with limited disease, relatively younger age and better performance status, and responding to conventional chemotherapy.