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Molecular Pathology of Small Cell Carcinoma

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Precision Molecular Pathology of Lung Cancer

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Abstract

Small cell lung carcinoma (SCLC) is a high-grade neuroendocrine carcinoma with a poor prognosis, comprising approximately 15% of all lung cancers. SCLC differs greatly from carcinoid tumors in terms of molecular alterations, supporting the concept that it more likely arises from a different precursor cell. SCLC is characterized by a high burden of molecular alterations in general, and essentially all cases harbor inactivation of tumor suppressor genes TP53 and RB1. Approximately 25% of cases contain inactivating mutations in NOTCH family genes, and SCLC may also harbor abnormalities of the PI3K/AKT/mTOR pathway, CREBBP, EP300, PTEN, MYC, FGFR1, and SOX2, among others. In spite of the high mutational burden, SCLC does not harbor mutations amenable to currently available targeted molecular therapies, but ongoing investigation of several potential targets continues.

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Mount Sinai Medical Center, New York, NY, USA

    Mary Beth Beasley MD

Authors
  1. Mary Beth Beasley MD
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Mary Beth Beasley MD .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Pathology & Genomic Medici, Houston Methodist Hospital, Houston, Texas, USA

    Philip T. Cagle

  2. Department of Pathology, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, Texas, USA

    Timothy Craig Allen

  3. Department of Pathology, Mount Sinai Medical Center, New York, New York, USA

    Mary Beth Beasley

  4. Department of Pathology, Brigham & Women’s Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts, USA

    Lucian R. Chirieac

  5. Department of Pathology, University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA

    Sanja Dacic

  6. Department of Pathology, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, New York, USA

    Alain C. Borczuk

  7. Department of Pathology, Aberdeen University Medical School, Aberdeen, United Kingdom

    Keith M. Kerr

  8. Department of Pathology, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts, USA

    Lynette M. Sholl

  9. Medical Innovation, Roche Tissue Diagnostics, Ventana Medical Systems, Tucson, Arizona, USA

    Bryce Portier

  10. Cancer Center, Houston Methodist Hospital, Houston, Texas, USA

    Eric H. Bernicker

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© 2018 Springer International Publishing AG

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Beasley, M.B. (2018). Molecular Pathology of Small Cell Carcinoma. In: Cagle, P., et al. Precision Molecular Pathology of Lung Cancer. Molecular Pathology Library. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-62941-4_14

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-62941-4_14

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  • Publisher Name: Springer, Cham

  • Print ISBN: 978-3-319-62940-7

  • Online ISBN: 978-3-319-62941-4

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