The tumors induced by the c-raf-1 and c-myc protooncogenes resemble the multidifferentiated phenotype of small cell lung cancer frequently detected in vivo and present a defined model to study the relation between molecular markers, phenotypical appearance, and response to chemotherapeutic agents and radiation.
Overexpression of c-raf-1 and the myc family of protooncogenes is primarily associated with small cell carcinoma, which accounts for approximately 25% of human lung cancer.