Hope for frail lung cancer patients: immunotherapy combo shows promise

NCT ID NCT04221529

Completed Disease control Sponsor: AIO-Studien-gGmbH Source: ClinicalTrials.gov ↗

First seen Jun 26, 2026 · Last updated Jun 26, 2026

Summary

This study tested whether adding the immunotherapy drug atezolizumab to standard chemotherapy can help people with advanced small cell lung cancer who are in poor health. The trial included 70 patients with extensive-stage disease and a low performance status (ECOG 2). Researchers measured overall survival and tumor response to see if this combination is safe and effective for this vulnerable group.

What this could mean

Our plain-language read of the trial. This is informational only — not medical advice or a prediction.

Active substance: Atezolizumab (an immunotherapy drug) plus carboplatin and etoposide (chemotherapy)
What this could lead to: If successful, this could provide a treatment option for extensive-stage small cell lung cancer patients who are too weak for standard therapy, potentially improving survival.
What could go wrong: This is a small, early-phase trial with only 70 participants and no comparison group, so results may not be conclusive. The patients are already in poor health, which increases the risk of side effects and limits how much benefit can be expected.

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Conditions

The condition(s) this trial relates to.

small cell lung carcinoma

As listed by the trial registrant

The condition terms exactly as the trial's registrant entered them.

SCLC, EXTENSIVE STAGE

Contacts and locations

Locations

Asklepios Klinik Altona

Hamburg, 22763, Germany
Brüderkrankenhaus St. Josef

Paderborn, 33098, Germany
Fachkliniken Wangen

Wangen, 88239, Germany
Helios Dr. Horst Schmidt Kliniken Wiesbaden

Wiesbaden, 65199, Germany
Helios Universitätsklinikum

Wuppertal, 42283, Germany
Johannes Wesling Klinikum

Minden, 32429, Germany
Karl Landsteiner Institut für Lungenforschung und Pneumologische Onkologie c/o Wilhelminenspital der Stadt Wien

Vienna, 1160, Austria
Klinikum Esslingen GmbH

Esslingen am Neckar, 73730, Germany
Klinikum Klagenfurt

Klagenfurt, 9020, Austria
Klinikum Löwenstein gGmbH

Löwenstein, 74245, Germany
Klinikum der Universität München

München, 80336, Germany
Krankenhaus Martha-Maria Halle-Dölau

Halle, 06120, Germany
LungenClinic Grosshansdorf GmbH

Großhansdorf, 22927, Germany
Niels-Stensen-Kliniken

Georgsmarienhütte, 49124, Germany
St. Josef Hospital

Bochum, 44791, Germany
Universität Heidelberg

Heidelberg, 69126, Germany
Universitätsklinikum Freiburg

Freiburg im Breisgau, 79106, Germany
Universitätsklinikum Gießen und Marburg GmbH

Marburg, 35043, Germany
Universitätsklinikum Krems

Krems, 3500, Austria

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