Bay Biosciences provides high-quality fresh frozen biopsy tissue samples, with matched fresh frozen sera (serum), plasma, and peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) bio-fluids, from patients diagnosed with small cell lung cancer.

The sera (serum), plasma and peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) biofluid specimens are processed from patients peripheral whole-blood using customized collection and processing protocols from small cell lung cancer.

Fresh frozen tissue and matched biofluid samples were, collected from unique patients diagnosed with small cell lung cancer.

Bio-samples are provided to a valued pharmaceutical customer for research, diagnostics, discovery, and drug development.

 


Small Cell Lung Cancer (SCLC) Overview

Like all cancers, SCLC begins at the cellular level and causes abnormal cells in the lungs to reproduce rapidly and uncontrollably. SCLC usually begins in the airways of the lung, and quickly spreads to other areas of the body. SCLC is the most aggressive form of lung cancer.

Small cell lung cancer (SCLC) is a fast-growing type of lung cancer. It spreads much more quickly than non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC).

There are two types of lung cancer. The most common, and slower-growing form is non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). The other, faster-growing form is called Small cell lung cancer (SCLC).

According to the American Cancer Society (ACS), about 13% of all lung cancers are SCLC, and 84% NSCLC.

The American Cancer Society (ACS) estimates for lung cancer in the United States for 2022 are about 236,740 new cases of lung cancer (117,910 in men and 118,830 in women) and about 130,180 deaths from lung cancer (68,820 in men and 61,360 in women).

Lung cancer mainly occurs in older people. Most patients diagnosed with lung cancer are 65 or older; a very small number of people diagnosed are younger than 45. The average age of people when diagnosed is about 70.

One of the most common causes to get lung cancer is smoking cigarettes. The more cigarettes you smoke and the earlier you start smoking, the greater your risk is. Even being around someone who smokes and breathing in the secondhand smoke from their cigarettes increases your risk of getting lung cancer.

Even though smoking makes you much more likely to get lung cancer, you don’t have to smoke or be exposed to smoke to get the disease. Some patients who have lung cancer never lit up a cigarette in their life. They have been exposed to cancer-causing substances like asbestos, diesel fumes, arsenic, radiation, or radon gas.

The most common signs of lung cancer are a cough that won’t go away, chest pain, shortness of breath, weight loss, and fatigue. But just because you have these symptoms it doesn’t mean that you have don’t have lung cancer. These can also be signs of other conditions, like asthma or a respiratory infection.

There are two types of SCLC:

  • Small cell carcinoma (oat cell cancer)
  • Combined small cell carcinoma

Most SCLCs  are of the oat cell type.

When cells of the lung start growing rapidly in an uncontrolled manner, the condition is called lung cancer. Cancer can affect any part of the lung and it’s the leading cause of cancer deaths in both women and men in the United States and rest of the world.

There are two main types of lung cancer. Small-cell lung cancer (SCLC), sometimes called small-cell carcinoma, causes about 10%-15% of all lung cancers. Non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) causes the rest.

Even though SCLC has a tendency to grow quickly, it often shrinks quickly as a response to chemotherapy, radiation therapy, or both.


Types of Small Cell Lung Cancer (SCLC)

There are 2 main types of small cell lung cancer (SCLC):

  • Small-cell carcinoma (oat cell cancer)
  • Combined small-cell carcinoma

Both include many types of cells that grow and spread in different ways. They are named according to what the cells look like under a microscope.

Small-cell lung cancer differs from non-small-cell lung cancer in the following ways:

  • Small-cell lung cancer grows rapidly.
  • This type of lung cancer spreads quickly.
  • Small-cell lung cancer responds well to chemotherapy (using medications to kill cancer cells) and radiation therapy (using high-dose X-rays or other high-energy rays to kill cancer cells).
  • SCLC is frequently associated with distinct paraneoplastic syndromes (a collection of symptoms that result from substances produced by the tumor).

Causes of Small Cell Lung Cancer (SCLC)

  • The predominant cause of both small cell lung cancer and non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) is tobacco smoking. However, small-cell lung cancer is more strongly linked to smoking than non-small cell lung cancer.
  • Even secondhand tobacco smoke is a risk factor for lung cancer. Those living with a smoker have about a 30% increase in the risk of developing non-small cell lung cancer and 60% increase risk for small cell lung cancer compared to people who are not exposed to secondhand smoke.
  • All types of lung cancer occur with increased frequency in people who mine uranium, but small-cell lung cancer is most common. The prevalence is increased further in uranium miner who smoke.
  • Exposure to radon (an inert gas that develops from the decay of uranium) has been reported to cause small-cell lung cancer.
  • Exposure to asbestos greatly increases the risk of lung cancer. A combination of asbestos exposure and cigarette smoking increases the risk even further.

Signs and Symptoms of Small Cell Lung Cancer (SCLC)

Patients with small cell lung cancer (SCLC) usually have had symptoms for a relatively short time (around 8 to 12 weeks) before they visit their doctor.

The symptoms can result from local growth of the tumor, spread to nearby areas, distant spread, paraneoplastic syndromes, or a combination thereof.

  • Following are the symptoms due to spread of the cancer to nearby areas:
    • Hoarse voice, resulting from compression of the nerve that supplies the vocal cords
    • Shortness of breath, resulting from compression of the nerve that supplies the muscles of the diaphragm, or the lungs filling with fluid and stridor (sound produced by turbulent flow of air through a narrowed part of the respiratory tract) resulting from compression of the trachea (windpipe) or larger bronchi (airways of the lung)
    • Difficulty swallowing, resulting from compression of the esophagus (food pipe)
    • Swelling of the face and hands, resulting from compression of the superior vena cava (vein that returns deoxygenated blood from the upper body)
  • Symptoms due to distant cancer spread depend on the site of spread and can include the following:
    • Tumor spread to the brain can cause headache, blurry vision, nausea, vomiting, weakness of any limb, mental changes, and seizures.
    • Cancer spread to the vertebral column can cause back pain.
    • Tumor spread to the spinal cord can cause paralysis and loss of bowel or bladder function.
    • Cancer spread to the bone can cause bone pain.
    • Tumor spread to the liver can cause pain in the right upper part of the abdomen.
  • Symptoms due to paraneoplastic syndromes include the following:
    • Changes in mental status.
    • Symptoms may or may not be characteristic of a specific organ system.
    • Nonspecific symptoms include fatigue, loss of appetite, and weight gain or loss.
    • Severe muscle weakness.
    • Trouble with balance or walking.
    • Changes in skin color, texture, and facial features.

Diagnosis of Small Cell Lung Cancer (SCLC)

If lung cancer is suspected, your doctor will recommend imaging tests (CT, PET or MRI scans to identify abnormalities in and around your lungs. Your doctor may also take a sample of your mucus to look for cancer cells.

After these initial tests identify cancer, a biopsy can be performed by either inserting a needle or making an incision in your chest to remove a small bit of tissue from your lung for further inspection. Another technique doctors commonly use to both visualize and remove lung tissue is called bronchoscopy.

Your doctor will also determine the extent to which the SCLC has spread throughout your body. This descriptive process, called staging, can help inform treatment.

Although numerical stages are used for SCLC as well as for other cancers, SCLC is often classified as either limited-stage disease (LD), where the cancer is confined to a reasonable radiation field within the chest, or extensive-stage disease (ED), where the cancer has spread outside the chest.   

SCLC is rarely detected early. However, with appropriate CT screening for certain patients with a history of smoking, it is occasionally diagnosed before it causes symptoms. Early diagnosis offers the best prognosis for small cell lung cancer.

Diagnostic Tests for Small Cell Lung Cancer

Initial exams and tests for suspected lung cancer may include the following:

  • Medical, surgical, work, and smoking history
  • Physical exam to check for general signs of health
  • Chest X-ray
  • CT scan of the chest: An X-ray machine linked to a computer takes a series of detailed pictures of the inside of the chest from different angles. Other names of this procedure are computed tomography, computerized tomography, or computerized axial tomography.
  • Thoracentesis: The lungs are enclosed in a sac. Lung cancer can cause fluid to collect in this sac. This is called pleural effusion. In people who have cancer, this fluid may contain cancer cells. The fluid is removed by a needle and examined for the presence of cancer cells.
  • Bronchoscopy: This is a procedure used to look inside the trachea (windpipe) and large airways in the lung for abnormal areas. A bronchoscope (a thin, flexible, lighted tube with a tiny camera on the end) is inserted through the mouth or nose and down the windpipe.
  • Lung biopsy: If a tumor is on the periphery of the lung, it may not be seen with bronchoscopy. Instead, a biopsy sample has to be taken with the help of a needle inserted through the chest wall and into the tumor. This procedure is called a transthoracic needle biopsy.
  • Mediastinoscopy: This procedure is performed to determine the extent the tumor has spread into the mediastinum (the area of the chest between the lungs). Mediastinoscopy is a procedure in which a tube is inserted behind the breastbone through a small cut at the lowest part of the neck. Samples of lymph nodes (small, bean-shaped structures found throughout the body) are taken from this area to look for cancer cells.

After the patient has been diagnosed with lung cancer, exams and tests are performed to find out whether the cancer has spread (metastasized) to other organs. These tests help determine the stage of the cancer. Staging is important, because lung cancer treatment is based on the stage of the cancer.

 

Tests used to detect the spread of cancer may include the following:

  • Blood tests: Complete blood count: CBC provides information about the type and count of different types of blood cells, serum electrolytes, kidney function, and liver function. In some cases, these tests may identify the site of metastasis. These tests are also important to assess the organ functions before starting treatment.
  • CT scan of the chest and abdomen: An X-ray machine linked to a computer takes a series of detailed pictures of areas inside the body from different angles. The doctor may inject a dye into a vein. A contrast agent may be given to swallow so that the organs or tissues more clearly show up on the scan.
  • MRI: MRI is an imaging technique used to produce high-quality images of the inside of the body. A series of detailed pictures of areas inside the body are taken from different angles. The difference between an MRI and CT scan is that MRI uses magnetic waves, whereas CT scan uses X-rays for the procedure.
  • Radionuclide bone scan: With the help of this procedure, the doctor determines whether the lung cancer has spread to the bones. The doctor injects a minute quantity of radioactive material into the vein; this material travels through the bloodstream. If the cancer has spread to the bones, the radioactive material collects in the bones and is detected by a scanner.
  • PET scan: A small amount of radioactive material is injected into the bloodstream and measures the metabolism of the organs to see if the cancer has spread.
  • Video-assisted thoracoscopy (VATS): A doctor will insert a lighted tube with a video camera through small openings in the chest. It’s a way to look at the lungs and other tissue. A biopsy may also be done.
  • Endobronchial ultrasound (EBUS): A doctor inserts a flexible tube with a video camera and an ultrasound attached, through your mouth and into your windpipe and lungs. They can look at the lungs and lymph nodes nearby and can take a biopsy of the tissue.


Staging of Small Cell Lung Cancer (SCLC)

Staging of the cancer provides important information about the outlook of the patient’s condition and helps the doctor plan the best treatment. Although other cancers are categorized from stage I to stage IV, small-cell lung cancer is classified in two stages.

  • Limited stage: In this stage, the tumor is confined to one side of the chest, the tissues between the lungs, and nearby lymph nodes only.
  • Extensive stage: In this stage, cancer has spread from the lung to other parts of the body.

Treatment of Small Cell Lung Cancer (SCLC)

Following are some of the most commonly used medications for the treatment of patients with small cell lung cancer (SCLC):

  • Cisplatin (Platinol-AQ)
  • Cyclophosphamide (Cytoxan)
  • Docetaxel (Taxotere)
  • Doxorubicin (Adriamycin, Rubex)
  • Etoposide (Vepesid)
  • Irinotecan (Camptosar)
  • Lurbinectedin (Zepzelca)
  • Paclitaxel (Onxol, Taxol)
  • Topotecan (Hycamtin)
  • Vincristine (Oncovin)

Standard treatment of small cell lung cancer involves combination chemotherapy with a cisplatin-containing regimen. Treatment cycles are typically repeated every three weeks. Patients receive treatment for four to six cycles.

Radiation therapy to the chest may be started as early as possible, or it may be given later in the course of treatment. This depends on factors such as the stage of the cancer and the patient’s overall health.

Combination of radiation and chemotherapy: Sequential-radiation treatment may be given, followed by chemotherapy. However, in comparative studies, the earlier the radiation is started concurrently with chemotherapy (as early as the first cycle of chemotherapy), the better the outcome.

If the patient has limited disease, and has had a very good response to chemotherapy, radiation therapy may be given to the patient’s brain to reduce the risk of small cell lung cancer spreading to the brain.

This is called prophylactic cranial irradiation (PCI). It is usually given after the patient has completed the full chemotherapy, and radiotherapy (to the thorax). The radiation doses are low, and the treatment duration is short, so the side effects of this therapy are minimal.

Surgery

Surgery plays little, if any, role in the management of small cell lung cancer, because almost all cancers have spread by the time they are discovered.

The exceptions are the relatively small number of people (less than 15%) whose cancer is discovered at a very early stage of the disease, when the cancer is confined to the lung without any spread to the lymph nodes.

 

Bay Biosciences is a global leader in providing researchers with high quality, clinical grade, fully characterized human tissue samples, bio-specimens, and human bio-fluid collections.

Samples available include cancer (tumor) tissue, cancer serum, cancer plasma, cancer, peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC). and human tissue samples from most other therapeutic areas and diseases.

Bay Biosciences maintains and manages its own biorepository, the human tissue bank (biobank) consisting of thousands of diseased samples (specimens) and from normal healthy donors available in all formats and types.

Our biobank procures and stores fully consented, deidentified and institutional review boards (IRB) approved human tissue samples and matched controls.

All our human tissue collections, human specimens and human bio-fluids are provided with detailed, samples associated patient’s clinical data.

This critical patient’s clinical data includes information relating to their past and current disease, treatment history, lifestyle choices, biomarkers, and genetic information.

Patient’s data is extremely valuable for researchers and is used to help identify new effective treatments (drug discovery & development) in oncology, and other therapeutic areas and diseases.

Bay Biosciences banks wide variety of human tissue samples and biological samples, including cryogenically preserved at – 80°C.

Including fresh frozen tissue samples, tumor tissue samples, formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded (FFPE), tissue slides, with matching human bio-fluids, whole blood and blood-derived products such as serum, plasma and PBMC.

Bay Biosciences is a global leader in collecting and providing human tissue samples according to the specified requirements and customized, tailor-made collection protocols.

Please contact us anytime to discuss your special research projects and customized human tissue sample requirements.

Bay Biosciences provides human tissue samples (human specimens) from diseased and normal healthy donors which includes:

We can also procure most human bio-specimens, special collections and requests for human samples that are difficult to find. All our human tissue samples are procured through IRB-approved clinical protocols and procedures.

In addition to the standard processing protocols, Bay Biosciences can also provide human plasma, serum, and PBMC bio-fluid samples using custom processing protocols; you buy donor-specific collections in higher volumes and specified sample aliquots from us.

Bay Biosciences also provides human samples from normal healthy donors; volunteers, for controls and clinical research, contact us Now.

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