Diagnosis and Treatment of Anaplastic Lymphoma Kinase-Positive Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer.

Abstract

Anaplastic lymphoma kinase (ALK) gene rearrangements occur in a small portion of patients with non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). These gene rearrangements lead to constitutive activation of the ALK kinase and subsequent ALK-driven tumor formation. Patients with tumors harboring such rearrangements are highly sensitive to ALK inhibitors, such as crizotinib, ceritinib, and alectinib. Resistance to these kinase inhibitors occurs through several mechanisms, resulting in ongoing clinical challenges. This review summarizes the biology of ALK-positive lung cancer, methods for diagnosing ALK-positive NSCLC, current FDA-approved ALK inhibitors, mechanisms of resistance to ALK inhibition, and potential strategies to combat resistance.

• Authors: Kathryn C Arbour, Gregory J Riely
• Journal: Hematology/oncology clinics of North America (Hematol Oncol Clin North Am) Vol. 31 Issue 1 Pg. 101-111 (02 2017) ISSN: 1558-1977 [Electronic] United States
• PMID: 27912826 (Publication Type: Journal Article, Review)
• Copyright: Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Chemical References

• Carbazoles
• Neoplasm Proteins
• Piperidines
• Protein Kinase Inhibitors
• Pyrazoles
• Pyridines
• Pyrimidines
• Sulfones
• Crizotinib
• ALK protein, human
• Anaplastic Lymphoma Kinase
• Receptor Protein-Tyrosine Kinases
• ceritinib
• alectinib

Topics

• Anaplastic Lymphoma Kinase
• Carbazoles (therapeutic use)
• Carcinoma, Non-Small-Cell Lung (drug therapy, enzymology, genetics)
• Crizotinib
• Gene Rearrangement
• Humans
• Lung Neoplasms (drug therapy, enzymology, genetics)
• Neoplasm Proteins (antagonists & inhibitors, genetics, metabolism)
• Piperidines (therapeutic use)
• Protein Kinase Inhibitors (therapeutic use)
• Pyrazoles (therapeutic use)
• Pyridines (therapeutic use)
• Pyrimidines (therapeutic use)
• Receptor Protein-Tyrosine Kinases (antagonists & inhibitors, genetics, metabolism)
• Sulfones (therapeutic use)