New Treatment Options for ALK-Rearranged Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer

Abstract

ALK rearrangements are present in 3–5 % of patients with non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) and after epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) mutations represent the second molecular target in NSCLC to be validated through phase III clinical trials. The PROFILE 1014 international multicentre phase III trial demonstrated the superiority of crizotinib over standard chemotherapy, establishing crizotinib as standard first-line therapy for patients with advanced ALK-positive NSCLC and indicating the requirement for ALK testing to guide selection of optimal first-line therapy for non-squamous NSCLC. Despite impressive and durable responses, progression on treatment reflecting the development of ac..