In SCLC cell lines, we observed ZAR1 promoter hypermethylation in 15 out of 20 samples (75%), and in the smaller set of NSCLC, five of six samples (83%) were methylated (Figs. 1, 2, 3c and 4a and Additional file 2: Table S1 and Additional file 3: Table S2). This evidence concerns the gene ZAR1 and small cell lung carcinoma.