ALK fusion

We discuss the role of NGS as well as its potential benefit in patients with unresectable, ALK-negative metastatic disease. Considering this case and previous literature, we support the use of NGS for patients requiring systemic treatment.

A case of EML4-ALK fusion mutation in invasive lung adenocarcinoma has been reported. Multiple cystic changes occurred repeatedly in both kidneys, right rectus muscle, and psoas major muscle after treatment with crizotinib, and spontaneous absorption and resolution after discontinuation of the drug.

Based on literature review and our experience in this case report, we concluded that crizotinib-associated renal cyst (CARCs) has features of malignancy and abscess in radiographic imaging, and thus, pathological confirmation is necessary to avoid inappropriate treatment decision. In addition, to benefit the patients with progress-free survival (PFS), switching from crizotinib to alectinib is recommended for the treatment of NSCLC patients who developed CARCs.

Collectively, this study enhanced our understanding of NENA NSLA by elucidating the proteogenomic landscape and proposed saracatinib as a potential treatment for this patient population that lacks effective targeted therapies. The proteogenomic landscape in never-smoker lung cancer without known driver mutations reveals prognostic proteins and enhanced estrogen signaling that can be targeted as a potential therapeutic strategy to improve patient outcomes.

P2, N=88, Not yet recruiting, SWOG Cancer Research Network | Initiation date: Feb 2024 --> May 2024

This hematologic neoplasm shows a characteristic ALK positivity in immunohistochemical examination and correspondingly, ALK fusion genes in the molecular analysis. Pathologists should be aware of this entity, particularly as it is challenging to differentiate from other more frequent neoplasms of the same disease group or mesenchymal neoplasm with ALK aberration.

However, NSRO-driven NSCLCs in smokers had higher transcriptomic activities related to regulation of the cell cycle. These findings suggest that, while the genomic landscape is similar between NSRO-driven NSCLC in smokers and non-smokers, smoking still affects the tumor phenotype independently of genomic alterations.

Our results show that fusion testing can be a helpful diagnostic tool, especially in cases with unusual or uncommon morphology in superficial sites. Furthermore, it can allow for the identification of potential therapeutic targets in some instances.

There have been two treatment-related deaths, one due to cardiac arrest and one due to pneumonitis. Ten additional participants have experienced Grade 4 treatment-related adverse events, nine of which are non-hematologic toxicities.

There are three currently active sub-studies and one soon to be activated sub-study studying amivantamab-vmjw in MET amplification positive NSCLC (S1900J). Current sub-studies: S1900E (KRAS) activated on April 2, 2021 and is studying sotorasib (AMG 510) in non-squamous NSCLC...S1900G (EGFR and MET) activated on April 3, 2023 and is studying capmatinib and osimertinib with or without ramucirumab in NSCLC. S1900K (MET exon 14 skipping) activated on December 18, 2023 and is studying tepotinib with or without ramucirumab in NSCLC...One hundred seventy (7%) were submitted with the classification of "Other". The most common reasons included: no sub studies available, patient chose hospice, and patient transferred to different hospital.

For advanced lung adenocarcinomas, with no targetable driver mutations, there is evidence-based guidance on the use of carboplatin-paclitaxel chemotherapy after first trimester. In contrast, for epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR)-mutated or anaplastic lymphoma kinase (ALK)-rearranged metastatic lung adenocarcinomas, there is a paucity of clinical data on the safety of EGFR and ALK tyrosine kinase inhibitors to mother and fetus for official guidelines to recommend the use of these otherwise-first-line therapies in pregnancy. Considering this knowledge gap, we present a case of a young gravida 1 para 0 (G1P0) woman who continued alectinib 300 mg oral two times per day for ALK-rearranged metastatic lung adenocarcinoma throughout all 36 weeks of her pregnancy and delivered a healthy baby at term via caesarean section (C-section).

Both patients were treated with surgical resection and reconstruction. The prognosis of patients with this entity is currently uncertain but shall become more apparent over time as more cases are identified and followed.

P1, N=15, Not yet recruiting, Nationwide Children's Hospital

The core autoregulatory transcriptional circuitry activity is reinforced by MYC binding to the enhancer regions associated with STAT3 and each of the core regulatory transcription factors. Thus, activation of STAT3 provides the crucial link between aberrant tyrosine kinase signaling and the core transcriptional machinery that drives tumorigenesis and creates therapeutic vulnerabilities in ALCL.

Seven different ALK-TKIs have been approved by the National Medical Products Administration (NMPA) of China, including crizotinib, ceritinib, alectinib, ensartinib, brigatinib, lorlatinib, and iruplinalkib. On January 16, 2024, the NMPA approved iruplinalkib for the first-line treatment of locally advanced or metastatic ALK-positive NSCLC patients. In order to better understand the efficacy and safety of iruplinalkib, and facilitate more rationally clinical application of iruplinalkib, the Medical Oncology Branch of China International Exchange and Promotive Association for Medical and Health Care and the Chinese Association for Clinical Oncologists co-organized experts to compile the "Chinese expert consensus on iruplinalkib for the treatment of locally advanced or metastatic ALK-positive non-small cell lung cancer (2024 edition)".

P2, N=146, Recruiting, Genentech, Inc. | N=85 --> 146

P1/2, N=49, Active, not recruiting, Takeda | Recruiting --> Active, not recruiting | N=231 --> 49

Combination treatment with lorlatinib and erlotinib significantly reduced HRG1-induced activation of RTK signaling in ALK-positive NSCLC cells. HER3 overexpression has potential as a prognostic marker in ALK-positive NSCLCs, including ALK-TKI naïve and treated cases, especially those with EML4-ALK V1/V2. Assessing HER3 expression may be crucial for treatment planning and outcome prediction in these patients.

This study demonstrated that participating in clinical trials resulted in a survival benefit that reduced the risk of death by 29.6% compared to receiving SOC in EGFR-wild-type and ALK-negative lung adenocarcinoma.

P2, N=85, Recruiting, Genentech, Inc. | Trial primary completion date: Mar 2024 --> Dec 2025

Our findings demonstrate that dual inhibition of the RTK/MAPK pathway and the CD47/SIRPa axis is a promising immunotherapeutic strategy. Our study provides strong rationale for testing this therapeutic combination in patients with lung cancers bearing driver mutations.

These two fusion genes may be detected in resembling tumors, which contain giant cells, apart from malignant GCTB. The real-world data used herein provide a unique perspective on genomic alterations in clinicopathologically diagnosed malignant GCTB.

All patients harboring a targetable alteration were >50 years of age and most of them had >15 pack-years, questioning restrictive molecular testing strategies. Based on our real-world data, we propose a reflex testing workflow using DNA- and RNA-based NGS that includes all newly diagnosed NSCLC cases, irrespective of histology, but also irrespective of age or smoking status.

We identified no definitive studies dictating optimal sequencing of TKIs and RT for EGFRm and ALK+ BrM. Until such studies are completed, the committee hopes these cases guide decision-making in this complex clinical space.

Intriguingly, we also found that expression of Eg5-S1033D led to cells expressing EML4-ALK V1 adopting a more mesenchymal-like morphology. Taken together, we propose Eg5 acts as a substrate of NEK7 in cells expressing EML4-ALK V3 and that Eg5 phosphorylation promotes the altered morphology typical of these cells.

Mutations in the ALK gene are common in EIMS. Surgery is the mainstay of EIMS treatment, and patients benefit from a multidisciplinary combination that includes targeted therapies, with long-term prognosis remaining subject to ongoing follow-up.

Finally, we investigated clinical correlations of SNV/indel/CNV/fusion with clinicopathologic features in the NSCLC cohort. Taken together, RNA sequencing significantly complements deficiency of DNA sequencing for gene fusion, which cooperatively presents comprehensive and reliable gene variation features and facilitate the identification of potential drug targets for NSCLC patients.

The results demonstrate that detection of ecDNA using clinical-grade NGS assays is feasible and that key oncogene FH-amp on ecDNA (e.g., EGFR, FGFR2) are common in select tumor types. ECHO may be developed as a clinical trial device to prospectively identify patients with oncogene ecDNA+ FH-amp for clinical testing of ecDNA-directed therapies.

sMTC is primarily a RET-driven disease that represents 14% of childhood-onset MTC in this cohort. Pediatric sMTC patients are older, present with clinical disease at a more advanced TNM classification, and have more persistent disease at last follow up compared with hMTC, but these differences disappear when comparing those presenting clinically. Somatic molecular testing should be considered in sMTC patients who would benefit from systemic therapy.

Patients treated with RET protein tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs) selpercatinib or pralsetinib develop RET TKI resistance by secondary RET mutations or alterative oncogenes, of which alterative oncogenes pose a greater challenge for disease management because of multiple potential mechanisms and the unclear tolerability of drug combinations. Preclinical experiments validated selpercatinib plus larotrectinib or entrectinib inhibited RET/NTRK3 dependent cells, whereas selpercatinib plus entrectinib was necessary to inhibit cells with RET/NTRK3/ALK triple alterations or a mixture of cell population carrying these genetic alterations. Thus, RET-altered MTC adapted to selpercatinib and larotrectinib with acquisition of ETV6::NTRK3 and EML4::ALK oncogenes can be managed by combination of selpercatinib and entrectinib providing proof-of-concept of urgency of incorporating molecular profiling in real-time and personalized N-of-1 care transcending one-size-fits-all approach.

Currently, a fourth-generation (4G) ALK TKI, NVL-655, is being developed to attack some of the unmet needs such as compound resistance mutations in cis...Potentially, in the shifting landscape where lorlatinib should be the first-line ALK TKI of choice based on the CROWN trial, the central β-sheet #6 (Cβ6) mutation ALK L1256F will be the potential acquired resistance mutation to lorlatinib which may be resistant to current ALK TKIs. Here we opine on what additional capacities a putative fifth-generation (5G) ALK TKI will need to possess if it can be achieved in one single molecule. We propose randomized trial schemas targeting some of the intrinsic resistance mechanisms that will lead to approval of a prototypic fifth-generation (5G) ALK TKI and actually be beneficial to ALK+ NSCLC patients rather than just design a positive pivotal superiority trial for the sole purpose of drug approval.

P=N/A, N=813, Recruiting, Tempus AI | Trial primary completion date: Feb 2024 --> Jun 2025

P1, N=175, Active, not recruiting, AstraZeneca | Trial completion date: May 2023 --> Mar 2026

Future studies are needed to elucidate the ALK role in gastric cancer and to identify predictive biomarkers to improve patient selection for targeted therapy. Overall, ALK alterations are a relevant biomarker for gastric adenocarcinoma treatment and targeted therapies for ALK may improve patients' overall survival.

After initial chemotherapy with cyclophosphamide, carboplatin, and etoposide for 2 cycles, the tumor size progressed markedly and the patient underwent a subtotal resection of brain tumor followed by treatment with lorlatinib, an ALK tyrosine kinase inhibitor with central nervous system (CNS) activity. After 14 months of treatment, partial response was achieved, and the infant had normal growth and development. In conclusion, we identified a case of congenital IHG with a novel SOX5::ALK fusion that had progressed after chemotherapy and showed partial response and clinical benefit after treatment with the CNS-active ALK inhibitor lorlatinib.

P2, N=44, Recruiting, ETOP IBCSG Partners Foundation | Not yet recruiting --> Recruiting

P2, N=0, Withdrawn, Xinqiao Hospital of Chongqing | N=20 --> 0 | Unknown status --> Withdrawn

P4, N=0, Withdrawn, Xinqiao Hospital of Chongqing | N=20 --> 0 | Unknown status --> Withdrawn

V3 status is also associated with specific patterns of clinically important ALK resistance mutations. These tumor-intrinsic features may inform rational selection and optimization of first-line and consolidative therapy.

A well-designed DNA CGP assay is capable of robust fusion detection and these fusion calls are reliable for informing clinical decision-making. While DNA CGP detects most driver fusions, the clinical impact of fusion detection is substantial for individual patients and exhaustive efforts, inclusive of additional RNA-based testing, should be considered when an oncogenic driver is not clearly identified.

A higher proportion of patients with ALK-positive lung cancer were CYFRA21-1 positive and had higher CYFRA21-1:CEA ratios compared with EGFR-positive lung cancer patients.

Standard chemotherapy involves gemcitabine-based therapies combined with cisplatin, oxaliplatin, capecitabine, or 5-FU with a dismal prognosis for most patients...Additionally, ceritinib and cisplatin synergistically reduced CCA cell viability. Our data show ceritinib as an effective treatment of CCA, which could be potentially explored in the other cancer types without ALK mutations.