• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
• /
• v.15 no.7
• /
• pp.3057-3063
• /
• 2014

Background: Anaplastic lymphoma kinase (ALK) gene rearrangement in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) has been intensively studied. The gold standard for ALK detection is FISH, but this is not routinely conducted in clinical practice, so that the IHC method has a role. The aim of this study was to identify the incidence of ALK rearrangement and risk or prognostic factors for ALK positivity using both of IHC and FISH methods. Materials and Methods: From January 2008 to December 2012, 267 completely resected NSCLC patients in Chiang Mai University Hospital were enrolled in this study. Clinical and pathological variables and outcomes of treatment were retrospectively reviewed. IHC and FISH were used to evaluate ALK rearrangement. Sensitivity and specificity of IHC were analyzed. Multivariable analysis was used to identify clinico-pathological correlations with positive results of IHC and clinical outcomes. Results: Twenty-two (8.2%) of 267 specimens were IHC-positive for ALK with intense cytoplasmic staining, whereas only 10 (3.8%) were FISH-positive. Sensitivity, specificity and the positive likelihood ratio with IHC were 80.0%, 94.9%, and 15.8 respectively. Age less than 55 years (RR 4.4, 95%CI 1.78-10.73, p value=0.001) and presence of visceral pleural invasion (VPI) (RR 2.9, 95%CI 1.21-6.78, p value =0.017) were identified as risk factors for ALK rearrangement with FISH. There were no statistically significant differences in other clinical and pathological variables. ALK rearrangement was not a prognostic factor for tumor recurrence or overall survival. Conclusions: The incidences of ALK positivity in completely resected NSCLCs in northern Thailand were 8.2% by IHC and 3.8% by FISH. IHC with mouse monoclonal, Ventana D5F3 antibody can be used as a screening tool before FISH method because of high specificity and high positive likelihood ratio. Age less than 55 years and VPI are risk factors for ALK positivity.

• Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases
• /
• v.77 no.6
• /
• pp.258-261
• /
• 2014

Anaplastic lymphoma kinase (ALK) rearrangement, is a kind of driver mutation, accounts for 3%-5% of non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). NSCLC patients harboring ALK fusion genes have distinct clinical features and good response to ALK inhibitors. Metastasis from lung cancer to the ovary has rarely been known. We report a case of a 54-year-old woman with bilateral ovarian metastases from ALK rearranged NSCLC. She underwent bilateral salpingo-oophorectomy for ovary masses, which were progressed after cytotoxic chemotherapy although primary lung mass was decreased. Histopathological examination of the ovary tumor showed characteristic adenocarcinoma patterns of the lung and ALK rearrangement.

• Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases
• /
• v.75 no.6
• /
• pp.236-237
• /
• 2013

Many attempts have been made to find genetic abnormalities inducing carcinogenesis after the development of epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR)-tyrosine kinase inhibitor targeting EGFR in lung cancer. New target therapies have been already commercialized and studied along with the recent discovery of gene rearrangement involved in the carcinogenic process of non-small cell lung cancer. This study aims to investigate anplastic lymphoma kinase, c-ros oncogene 1, and receptor tyrosine kinase, in particular.

• The Journal of the Korean life insurance medical association
• /
• v.31 no.1
• /
• pp.34-36
• /
• 2012

Lung cancer such as small cell lung cancer(SCLC) and non small cell lung cancer(NSCLC) have high mortality rate, so, we insurance doctors have little interest in their risk. But nowadays there's a lot of development in targeted therapy of NSCLC. Screening by CT scanning and early resection strategy also shows better prognosis. It is helpful for underwriters and insurance doctors to review the current development of targeted therapy of NSCLC and estimation of extra-risk of early lung cancer. The preferred treatment option for patients whose tumors contain EGFR-activating mutations are one of the EGFR-directed tyrosine kinase inhibitors, such as gefitinib or erlotinib. In patients with NSCLC whose tumors harboured an ALK rearrangement, there was 61% objective response rate to crizotinib in the phase 1 study. The median survival progression-free survival was 10 months. Mortality analysis of early lung cancer who were detected by CT screening, MR of 105% and EDR of 1‰ were calculated.

• Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases
• /
• v.75 no.5
• /
• pp.181-187
• /
• 2013

The emergence of new therapeutic agents for non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) implies that histologic subtyping and molecular predictive testing are now essential for therapeutic decisions. Histologic subtype predicts the efficacy and toxicity of some treatment agents, as do genetic alterations, which can be important predictive factors in treatment selection. Molecular markers, such as epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) mutation and anaplastic lymphoma kinase (ALK) rearrangement, are the best predictors of response to specific tyrosine kinase inhibitor treatment agents. As the majority of patients with NSCLC present with unresectable disease, it is therefore crucial to optimize the use of tissue samples for diagnostic and predictive examinations, particularly for small biopsy and cytology specimens. Therefore, each institution needs to develop a diagnostic approach requiring close communication between the pulmonologist, radiologist, pathologist, and oncologist in order to preserve sufficient biopsy materials for molecular analysis as well as to ensure rapid diagnosis. Currently, personalized medicine in NSCLC is based on the histologic subtype and molecular status. This review summarizes strategies for tissue acquisition, histologic subtyping and molecular analysis for predictive testing in NSCLC.