title: Molecular features and clinical outcome of lung malignancies in very young people.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  We describe the clinical features, outcome and incidence of druggable targets of lung cancers in patients ≤ 40 years old.
  
  
  METHODS
  Young patients were compared with two other groups (41-64 and ≥ 65 years). Neuroendocrine tumors, adenocarcinoma and non-adenocarcinoma/unspecified non-small-cell lung cancer were analyzed separately. Molecular characteristics of adenocarcinoma were evaluated in a subset of young patients.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Of 2847 patients with lung cancer, 100 were ≤ 40 years old. The young group contained more women, never-smokers and patients presenting with advanced disease. The commonest tumor in young patients was adenocarcinoma. In total, 19 of 34 young patients with adenocarcinoma had tumors with specific molecular alterations.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Lung cancers in young patients have distinctive features but outcomes similar to those in older patients.
authors.affiliation: Division of Thoracic Oncology, European Institute of Oncology (IEO), Milan, Italy.
authors.forename: Chiara
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Catania
authors.forename: Edoardo
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Botteri
authors.forename: Massimo
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Barberis
authors.forename: Fabio
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Conforti
authors.forename: Francesca
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Toffalorio
authors.forename: Filippo
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: De Marinis
authors.forename: Sabrina
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Boselli
authors.forename: Cristina
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Noberasco
authors.forename: Angelo
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Delmonte
authors.forename: Gianluca
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Spitaleri
authors.forename: Lorenzo
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Spaggiari
authors.forename: Nicole
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Rotmensz
authors.forename: Antonio
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Passaro
authors.forename: Barbara
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Bazolli
authors.forename: Marina
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Alfieri
authors.forename: Michela
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Manzotti
authors.forename: Caterina
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Fumagalli
authors.forename: Alessandra
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Milani
authors.forename: Tommaso
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: De Pas
mesh_terms: D000230:Adenocarcinoma / Q000235:genetics*; D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D002276:Carcinoid Tumor / Q000235:genetics*; D018287:Carcinoma, Large Cell / Q000235:genetics*; D002289:Carcinoma, Non-Small-Cell Lung / Q000235:genetics*; D066246:ErbB Receptors / Q000235:genetics; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D017404:In Situ Hybridization, Fluorescence; D008175:Lung Neoplasms / Q000235:genetics*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009687:Nuclear Proteins / Q000235:genetics; D011518:Proto-Oncogene Proteins / Q000235:genetics; D016283:Proto-Oncogene Proteins p21(ras); D018719:Erb-b2 Receptor Tyrosine Kinases / Q000235:genetics; D055752:Small Cell Lung Carcinoma / Q000235:genetics*; D015996:Survival Rate; D014157:Transcription Factors / Q000235:genetics; D055815:Young Adult; D018631:ras Proteins / Q000235:genetics
chemical_list: D066246:ErbB Receptors; D009687:Nuclear Proteins; D011518:Proto-Oncogene Proteins; D016283:Proto-Oncogene Proteins p21(ras); D018719:Erb-b2 Receptor Tyrosine Kinases; D014157:Transcription Factors; D018631:ras Proteins; C117307:KRAS protein, human; C503859:PI3KCA protein, human; C508053:ERBB2 protein, human
keywords: carcinoid; lung cancer; molecular features; neuroendocrine; young patients