Thelansis

  In a subset of non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) patients, a rare occurrence of rearrangements exists within the Anaplastic lymphoma kinase (ALK) gene. These alterations induce perpetual activation of the ALK kinase, subsequently leading to the formation of ALK-driven tumors. Individuals harboring such rearrangements exhibit heightened sensitivity to ALK inhibitors like crizotinib, ceritinib, and alectinib. ALK-positive NSCLC occurs in approximately 1 out of every 25 NSCLC cases. ALK-positive tumor patients typically skew towards a younger demographic and are more commonly found among never-smokers or light smokers. Indeed, ALK rearrangements are observed in 12% of never-smokers, contrasting to the mere 2% incidence in former or current smokers. Notably, ALK rearrangements seldom coincide with activating mutations in EGFR or KRAS. In comparison to those with EGFR-mutant NSCLC, patients with ALK-positive tumors exhibit a higher likelihood of being male. Furthermore, individuals...