To evaluate the efficacy and safety of 125I seed implantation in SCLC as second line therapy.

This study aimed to evaluate the efficacy and safety of iodine 125 (125I) radioactive seed implantation for small cell lung cancer at the limited stage of relapse as second line therapy. We collected 6 patients with recurred limited stage small cell lung cancer, who got pathological diagnosis after a bronchoscopic biopsy and then received standard first line treatment, combined chemotherapy and radiotherapy, including prophylactic cranial irradiation. These recurred small cell lung cancer patients got 125I seed implantation treatment as second line therapy, if the treatment not good responsive or the disease got rapid progress, we used the second line chemotherapy as salvage treatment. Clinical data of these patients were collected and short-term effects were observed. The follow-up period lasted for 42 months. All the patients tolerated the procedure of 125I radioactive seed implantation very well. We followed up the patients to 42 months. Five patients got complete remission and 1 patient got partial remission at 1 month after implantation. The objective response rate was 100%. The median survival time was 26 months. And median progression-free survival was 12 months after 125I treatment. And about the complications, 1 patient suffered from the light aerothorax, 1 patient had a little hemoptysis. Our study showed that 125I seed implantation as second line regimen in small cell lung cancer that recurred locally after first line treatment was effective and safe. That could improve the overall survival and progression-free survival only comparing to the second line chemotherapy. Therefore 125I seed implantation as brachytherapy protocol is a promising method and can be applied as second line treatment to control the locally recurred small cell lung cancer.