The treatment of advanced non-small-cell lung cancer with anaplastic lymphoma kinase genetic alterations: reality and hopes

摘要: Targeted therapies based on molecular diagnostics have opened a new era of personalized medicine in lung cancer treatment. Recently, anaplastic lymphoma kinase (ALK) fusion gene emerged as an important biomarker for identifying small proportion non-small-cell (NSCLC) patients that will benefit from ALK inhibitor crizotinib, like EGFR activating mutations and tyrosine inhibitors. Despite the remarkable initial responses, acquired resistance to crizotinib develops within year promising second generation inhibitors are current development overcome it. This review focus basic pathology rearrangement NSCLC, testing methods, treatment strategies against ALK-positive crizotinib-resistant NSCLCs.