1p/19q codeletion and RET rearrangements in small-cell lung cancer

The prognosis of small-cell lung cancer (SCLC) is poor despite reports suggesting modest improvement in survival. To date, chemotherapy remains the cornerstone treatment for SCLC patients, and many studies have focused on identifying the molecular characteristics of SCLC, which serve as the basis for precision treatments that improve the prognosis of SCLC. For instance, the therapeutic effect of temozolomide, recommended for patients with relapsed SCLC, is linked to 1p/19q codeletion in anaplastic oligodendroglial tumors. A subpopulation of SCLC patients may derive benefit from tyrosine kinase inhibitors targeting RET. In order to identify 1p/19q codeletion and RET rearrangement in SCLC patients, 32 SCLC resected specimens were retrospectively collected between 2008 and 2014 from the Zhejiang Cancer Hospital in People’s Republic of China. Fluorescence in situ hybridization was used to detect 1p/19q codeletion and RET rearrangement in the specimens. A 1p single deletion was detected in eight specimens, 19q single deletion was detected in three specimens, and only three specimens had a 1p/19q codeletion. None of the specimens had a RET rearrangement. The three patients whose specimens had a 1p/19q codeletion were alive after 58, 50, and 30 months of follow-up care. There was a trend toward prolonged overall survival for the patients with codeletion compared to no codeletion, 1p single deletion, 19q single deletion, and without 1p and 19q deletion (P=0.113, 0.168, 0.116, and 0.122, respectively). Our data showed that RET rearrangement may be not an ideal molecular target for SCLC therapies in People’s Republic of China. Instead, 1p/19q codeletion is a promising marker for a good prognosis and treatment with temozolomide in SCLC.