Yuwei Li, Kaiyan Chen, Hui Li, Yun Fan
2026.1.1CANCER TREATMENT REVIEWS
tlooto Summary
This review systematically summarizes ADCs currently in clinical trials and preclinical research for SCLC, and comprehensively discusses their pharmacodynamic characteristics, therapeutic effects, adverse effects, and strategies for optimising treatment.
Abstract
Small cell lung cancer (SCLC) is a highly aggressive neuroendocrine tumour with a poor prognosis. Although treatment regimens such as first-line immunochemotherapy have shown clinical benefits in extensive stage SCLC (ES-SCLC), patients still face disease recurrence and drug resistance. Antibody-drug conjugates (ADCs) are new therapeutic compounds made up of a monoclonal antibody (mAb) attached to a cytotoxic drug (payload) using a linker. They achieve precise killing of tumour cells by conjugating highly cytotoxic drugs with monoclonal antibodies targeting specific tumour antigens. In recent years, antigens such as B7-H3, Trop-2, SEZ6, DLL3, and EGFR-HER3 have become primary targets for ADC development in ES-SCLC. Although some ADCs have been limited due to toxicity-related issues, numerous other ADCs have entered clinical trial phases and demonstrated encouraging efficacy, with ORRs of 33.3 %-68.0 % and median PFS of 4.0-7.6 months. In this review, we systematically summarize ADCs currently in clinical trials and preclinical research for SCLC, and comprehensively discuss their pharmacodynamic characteristics, therapeutic effects, adverse effects, and strategies for optimising treatment.
Citation format
LI, Yuwei, et al. Targeted precision strike in extensive-stage small cell lung cancer: Current advances and future perspectives for antibody-drug conjugates. CANCER TREATMENT REVIEWS, 2026, 143: 103091.