Overcoming Drug Resistance in ALK-Rearranged Lung Cancer

Approximately 4 to 15% of lung adenocarcinomas harbor a genomic rearrangement in the anaplastic lymphoma kinase gene (ALK) that creates a gene fusion activating the tyrosine kinase ALK.14 Treatment of patients with ALK-rearranged lung cancer with the MET and ALK inhibitor crizotinib induces responses5 and confers a benefit in progression-free survival.6 In a nonrandomized registry study, crizotinib also improved overall survival.4 Unfortunately, all patients who have ALK-rearranged lung cancer will have a relapse eventually, after a response that typically lasts for 8 months.6 Thus, drugs that are capable of suppressing the growth of recurrent tumors . . .