Background Platinum based chemotherapy is the backbone of small-cell lung cancer (SCLC) therapy. However, how it works in our population has not been evaluated.

Purpose The aim of this study is to evaluate the progression-free interval (PFI) on SCLC patients receiving first line platinum based chemotherapy.

Materials and methods Retrospective observational study focused on patients diagnosed during two years (2009-2010). Data were collected from medical records (treatment orders, Oncofarm® program and medical history). These data were: age, sex, history of smoking, stage of the disease, treatments received, and PFI.

Results Forty patients were diagnosed with SCLC, 4(10%) were women and 36(90%) were men. Average age was 65,3 years (±9,9; 44-84). All the patients have history of smoking, but 30(75%) were active smokers. Fifteen (37.5%) were diagnosed at the limited stage disease (LD) and 25(62.5%) at extended stage disease (ED). Average first line platinum chemotherapy cycles received were 3(1-6), and only one patient did not receive any chemotherapic treatment. First line treatment results on LD patients:

*73,3%(11) patients had a PFI longer than six months. 54,5%(6) of them remain stable at the end of the study, 36,4%(4) received second line chemotherapy and one received palliative treatment.

*20,0%(3) patients had a PFI shorter than six months and received second line chemotherapy.

First line treatment results on ED patients:

*28,0%(7) patients had a PFI longer than six months. 57,0%(4) remain stable at the end of the study, one received second line chemotherapy and 28,6%(2) received palliative treatment.

*68,0%(17) patients had a PFI shorter than 6 months, 47,1%(8) received second line chemotherapy and 52,9%(9) received palliative treatment.

*One patient refused chemotherapy.

Conclusions Platinum based chemotherapy has been shown to be more effective in SCLC patients when they start the treatment at the LD stage. The 73.3% of the patients diagnosed and treated at the LD stage had a PFI longer than 6 months. However, only 28% of the patients who started the treatment at the ED stage reached a PFI longer than 6 months.