Amylase-producing lung adenocarcinoma with an anaplastic lymphoma kinase fusion mutation: a case report

Abstract Introduction Hyperamylasemia, typically a sign of digestive system disorders, especially pancreatic issues, has an unexpected link with lung cancer in some patients. This report describes such a case in which hyperamylasemia was associated with ALK fusion mutant lung adenocarcinoma. Methods We identified the type of tumor through histologic analysis and pulmonary biopsy of the tumor and further identified the type of genetic mutation in the tumor using genetic testing. Subsequently, we continuously monitored the serum amylase levels and tumor size during therapy, and this process presented an analysis on the correlation between hyperamylasemia and lung adenocarcinoma while considering the response to targeted therapy. Results During the detailed research and observation process, we surprisingly discovered that the serum amylase levels throughout the entire course of therapy exhibited a remarkable parallelism with tumor size and the tumor response to targeted therapy. Discussion We suggest that serum amylase may be a tumor marker that may lead to a more effective approach to the diagnosis and treatment of related diseases.