These results are clinically appealing as combined treatment with an PD1/PD-L1 blocking agent and KIT or DNMT1 inhibitors, specifically in cisplatin refractory SCLC patients with evidence of deregulated DNMT1-KIT-PD-L1, may lead to a longer time to progression than is currently observed, and at the same time, increase the therapeutic index of these agents in SCLC management. Here, PDCD1 is linked to small cell lung carcinoma.