Evolving Therapeutic Targets in Small Cell Lung Cancer: Updates and Insights for Managed Care

Program Description

Although small cell lung cancer (SCLC) accounts for only 14% of lung cancer diagnoses in the United States, it remains the leading cause of cancer-related mortality. This high disease burden is compounded by an aggressive pathogenesis and early systemic spread, often leaving patients with limited time between initial response and inevitable progression. While platinum-based doublets combined with immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) have established a new frontline standard for extensive-stage SCLC (ES-SCLC), many patients often develop resistance, and disease progression poses a significant challenge in management and treatment selection. Moreover, many patients do not receive subsequent lines of therapy following disease progression on frontline therapy. Given the high rate of relapse after first-line therapy, efforts are underway to identify more effective treatment strategies. This program will guide managed care and oncology pharmacists through the rapidly evolving landscape of targeted and novel therapies in ES-SCLC, with a particular focus on navigating recommendations for second-line treatment and beyond. The session will evaluate high-impact data for recently approved and emerging agents, with a focus on the operational complexities and multidisciplinary coordination required to safely administer these therapies, specifically product-specific adverse effects such as cytokine release syndrome, neurologic toxicities, and the management of treatment-induced myelosuppression. Presenters will discuss strategies for clinical pathway integration, site-of-care optimization, and managed care coordination to improve quality of life and outcomes for patients with ES-SCLC.

Target audience: Managed care pharmacists, Oncology Pharmacists
Type of activity: Application
Release date: April 30, 2026
Expiration date: April 30, 2027
Learner level: Foundational, Intermediate

Time to complete activity: 1.5 hour
Fee: Free

Educational Objectives

At the completion of this activity, participants will be able to:

• Analyze the evolving paradigms for subsequent lines of therapy following first-line treatment in extensive-stage small cell lung cancer (ES-SCLC), including the sequencing of novel and investigational agents
• Investigate the clinical utility of emerging biomarkers in guiding therapeutic decisions for advanced SCLC
• Optimize managed care strategies that support the clinical value and appropriate utilization of novel SCLC therapies within a patient-centered framework