Prior analysis of human SCLC tumors revealed that SCLC could be characterized by the expression pattern of certain transcription factors (TFs) or transcriptional regulators, including ASCL1 (achaete-scute family bHLH transcription factor 1), NeuroD1 (neurogenic differentiation factor 1), POU2F3 (POU domain class 2 transcription factor 3; also known as OCT-11), and YAP1 (yes-associated protein 1), exemplifying SCLC as a TF-driven malignancy6–9. This evidence concerns the gene ASCL1 and small cell lung carcinoma.