There is limited research on the impact of chemotherapy on the prognosis of different age group patients with small cell lung cancer (SCLC). The aim of this study was to explore the impact of chemotherapy on survival prognosis of elderly patients with SCLC.Based on the Surveillance, Epidemiology and End Results (SEER) database, 57,460 SCLC patients between 2004 and 2015 were identified and divided into a ≤ 80 years group (KM analysis showed that both OS and LCSS were improved in chemotherapy group compared to those in non-chemotherapy group (log rankElderly patients with SCLC should be encouraged to receive chemotherapy provided their general conditions permit.