The present invention provides feline transplantable lung carcinoma xenografts and cell lines. Such xenografts and cell lines exhibit a number of unique characteristics which allows their use in experimental models of carcinoma in order to dissect out the molecular basis of this phenotype. This experimental model of carcinoma can be used to identify molecular targets for therapeutic intervention and to assess the efficacy of a broad spectrum of diagnostic and therapeutic agents. Specific animal models of lung cancer are described as well as methods for evaluating diagnostic and therapeutic agents for treating lung cancer.