Middle East Journal of Cancer

Monoclonal Antibodies in the Treatment of Small Cell Lung Cancer: A Review of Clinical Trials

Articles in Press

Document Type : Review Article(s)

Authors

Ali Asghar Hemmati
Soroush Alaei

Department of Pharmacology, School of Pharmacy, Ahvaz Jundishapur University of Medical Sciences, Ahvaz, Iran

10.30476/mejc.2026.109133.2355
Abstract
Small cell lung cancer (SCLC) is an aggressive type of cancer with a relatively high mortality rate after diagnosis. It has been accepted for decades that platinum-based medicines, in addition to chest radiotherapy, can be used in limited-stage of SCLC. Currently, chemotherapy or combination immunotherapy are used for treatment. However, fully successful treatment may not to be attained due to the resistance and relapse that can occur. Several reports have demonstrated that the addition of anti-programmed death-ligand 1 (anti–PD-L1) immunotherapy or cytotoxic T-cell–associated antigen antibodies and increasing of delta-like ligand 3 antigens on SCLC tumor cells into chemotherapy could improve the survival rate of patients for few years. Monoclonal Antibodies, as a new and effective class of biopharmaceutical compounds, showed broad application prospects in the treatment of SCLC. Monoclonal antibodies that specifically target cancer cells and are attached to cytotoxic drugs, allowing for targeted killing of cancer cells while healthy tissues are not affected. In this review, we discussed the therapeutic efficacy and safety of MABs in SCLC. The latest agents of this group of drugs are described. Their efficacy and challenges are discussed and compared.

Highlights

Ali Asghar Hemmati (google scholar)

 

Keywords

Small Cell Lung Carcinoma
Immunotherapy
Monoclonal antibody
Subjects

Please cite this article as: Hemmati AS, Alaei S. Monoclonal Antibodies in the Treatment of Small Cell Lung Cancer: A Review of Clinical Trials. Middle East J Cancer. 2026: in press. doi: 10.30476/mejc.2026.109133.2355.

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