Lauren Averett Byers, MD, on the Identification of SCLC Subtypes

Using tumor expression data and non-negative matrix factorization, investigators at The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center were able identify 4 subtypes of small cell lung cancer (SCLC).

The study results, published in Cancer Cell, led investigators to propose that matching baseline tumor subtype to therapy, as well as manipulating subtype switching on therapy, could possibly enhance depth and duration of response for patients with SCLC.

According to senior author Lauren Averett Byers, MD, associate professor of Thoracic/Head & Neck Medical Oncology at MD Anderson, these data provide the first avenue for personalized treatment of SCLC.

In an interview with CancerNetwork®, Byers further explained the significance of this study and what she hopes practicing oncologists will take away from these findings.

This segment comes from the CancerNetwork® portion of the MJH Life Sciences™ Medical World News®, airing daily on all MJH Life Sciences™ channels.

Reference:

Gay CM, Stewart CA, Park EM, et al. Patterns of transcription factor programs and immune pathway activation define four major subtypes of SCLC with distinct therapeutic vulnerabilities. Cancer Cell. Published online January 21, 2021. doi: 10.1016/j.ccell.2020.12.014