A nonresponding small cell lung cancer combined with adenocarcinoma

Combined small cell lung cancer (C-SCLC), defined as small cell lung cancer (SCLC) combined with an additional component that consists of any of the histological types of non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) (usually adenocarcinoma, squamous cell carcinoma, or large cell carcinoma and, less commonly, giant cell carcinoma or spindle cell) is considered to be a subset of SCLC (1,2). C-SCLC accounts for 28% of all SCLC cases in surgical specimens (1). However, most of the studies have shown that C-SCLC accounts for 1–3.2% because less than 5% of the patients with SCLC are detected with stage T1–2N0M0. Only the patients with stage T1–2N0M0 are eligible for surgery, and it is extremely difficult to diagnose C-SCLC through biopsy (3-5). This study aimed to report a case of limited-stage SCLC not responding to chemotherapy. The patient was diagnosed with SCLC combined adenocarcinoma and treated through surgical resection