Duke Cancer Institute has launched a Small Cell Lung Cancer (SCLC) Center providing patients with rapid access to multidisciplinary expertise, emerging therapies, clinical trials, and cutting-edge research. The center’s leadership team includes:
- Laura Alder, MD: Medical Director
- Kaitlin Bevers, MD: Surgical Director
- Trey Mullikin, MD: Radiation Oncology Director
- Joel R. Rivera Concepcion, MD, JD: Wake County Director
- Trudy Oliver, PhD: Translational Research Director
- Wil Santivasi, MD: Palliative Care Director
- Michael Morse, MD: GI and Unknown Primary Neuroendocrine Carcinomas Director
SCLC is one of the most aggressive solid tumors, making timely evaluation and treatment critical. The center brings together specialists in medical oncology, radiation oncology, thoracic surgery, palliative care, cell and gene therapy, and brain and spine metastasis to develop coordinated treatment plans for patients at every stage of disease.
The center builds on Duke’s leadership in emerging SCLC treatments, including tarlatamab, a DLL3-targeted T-cell engager for extensive-stage SCLC. Duke was an early adopter of tarlatamab and has established an outpatient administration pathway with specialized monitoring and management of potential treatment-related toxicities.
Eligible patients are also systematically screened for clinical trials, providing opportunities to access novel treatments across multiple stages of SCLC. Research efforts include molecular profiling, biomarker development, tissue and liquid-biopsy biobanking, translational science, and development of next-generation cellular therapies.
A dedicated nurse navigator helps streamline referrals, scheduling, clinical trial screening, and care coordination. Through a dedicated SCLC tumor board, specialists work together to develop an integrated treatment and research plan tailored to each patient.
“The small cell center of excellence here at Duke really brings together so many experts, so many incredible minds and teams. And at the very center is the patient,” said Alder. “The main goal is to (1) move the needle even further for small cell lung cancer, and (2) to make sure that the patient has a great multidisciplinary team right from the get-go when they need it, and then (3) really be a pillar in our North Carolina – and Carolina, broadly – community.”
For referring providers, early referral can connect patients with rapid multidisciplinary evaluation, clinical trials, and emerging therapies from a team experienced in treating this fast-moving disease.
