Fusions of the tyrosine kinase genes ALK (anaplastic lymphoma kinase), ROS1 (c-ros oncogene 1), or RET (rearranged during transfection) occur in 1%-5% of lung adenocarcinomas (LADCs) and their products constitute therapeutic targets for kinase inhibitory drugs.
Screening of anaplastic lymphoma tyrosine kinase (ALK) gene fusions in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) patients enables the identification of the patients likely to benefit from ALK-targeted therapy.
EGFR(epidermal growth factor receptor) mutations and ALK(anaplastic lymphoma kinase) rearrangement are typical examples of such driver oncogenic mutations found in lung adenocarcinomas.
EML4 (echinoderm microtubule-associated protein-like 4)-ALK (anaplastic lymphoma kinase) was recently identified as a transforming fusion gene in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC).
NSCLC with the EML4 (echinoderm microtubule-associated protein-like 4)-ALK (anaplastic lymphoma kinase) fusion gene is also more likely to occur in never smokers and in those with adenocarcinoma histology, and is expected to benefit from ALK inhibitors.