Gene/Protein Disease Symptom Drug Enzyme Compound
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Query: UMLS:C0684249 (lung carcinoma)
 23,830 document(s) hit in 31,850,051 MEDLINE articles (0.00 seconds)

Anaplastic lymphoma kinase (ALK) is a receptor-type protein tyrosine kinase that is currently the focus of much attention in oncology. ALK is rendered oncogenic as a result of its fusion to NPM1 in anaplastic large cell lymphoma, to TPM3 or TPM4 in inflammatory myofibroblastic tumor, to EML4 in non-small cell lung carcinoma, and to VCL in renal medullary carcinoma. It is also activated as a result of missense mutations in neuroblastoma and anaplastic thyroid cancer. Whereas these various tumors arise in different organs, they share activated ALK, and a marked clinical efficacy with ALK inhibitors has already been shown for some of the tumors with ALK fusions. One of such compound, crizotinib, is now approved in the United States for the treatment of lung cancer positive for ALK rearrangement. I propose that tumors carrying abnormal ALK as an essential growth driver be collectively termed "ALKoma."
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PMID:ALKoma: a cancer subtype with a shared target. 2261 25

In recent years, better understanding of the molecular biology of non-small-cell lung carcinoma (nsclc) has led to a revolution in the work-up of these neoplasms. As a pathology diagnosis, "nsclc" without further attempt at subclassification is no longer accepted as a standard of care; separating squamous cell carcinoma from adenocarcinoma and large-cell carcinoma carries implications for prognosis and treatment decisions. Currently, detection of the presence in nsclc of mutations involving the epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) gene and fusion of the N-terminal portion of the protein encoded by EML4 (echinoderm microtubule-associated protein-like 4 gene) with the intracellular signaling portion of the receptor tyrosine kinase encoded by ALK (anaplastic lymphoma kinase gene)-that is, EML4-ALK-and variants has become routine in many centres because patients having tumours harbouring such alterations might benefit from tyrosine kinase inhibitors as part of their treatment regimen.The purpose of the present review is to highlight important aspects of the screening for molecular derangements in nsclc and to briefly discuss the emergence of possible future biomarkers.
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PMID:The role of molecular pathology in non-small-cell lung carcinoma-now and in the future. 2278 8

Lung cancer remains the leading cause of cancer-related mortality in the world despite advances in the field of cancer therapeutics. Traditional treatment with empirically chosen cytotoxic chemotherapeutic agents, have given small, but real survival benefits. Recent advances and insights into molecular pathogenesis of lung cancers have provided some novel molecular targets, offering newer strategies and agents that are tumor specific. Studies have identified mutations in specific genes that are involved in driving the development of lung cancer and so it is important to subsequently target them with specific drugs thus changing paradigms of management of this type of cancer. Recently, Lung Cancer Mutation Consortium (LCMC) has identified at least one of the many recognized "driver mutations" in nearly two thirds of the patients with advanced cancer. This study suggests that identification of driver mutations can help in molecular targeted therapeutics and in addition supplant tumor histology in guiding treatment decisions, identifying subset of patients who may benefit therapy. This review focuses on these mutations identified in specific genes serving as "drivers" of lung tumorigenesis and suggests that clear promise for the future of lung cancer treatment is indeed personalized therapy with drugs chosen according to the patient mutation profile. Most clinically relevant translational advances made in genes involved in lung tumorigenesis namely EML4-ALK fusions, HER2, PIK3CA, AKT, BRAF, MAP2K1, MET mutations and amplifications along with the well established EGFR and KRAS mutations are discussed in the context of NSCLCs. These studies emphasize the need for treatment management based on mutation profile along with routine histology based classification of these tumors in future for a directed therapy and thus a better therapeutic outcome.
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PMID:Targetable "driver" mutations in non small cell lung cancer. 2294 8

Few descriptions of miliary brain metastases have been reported. We report the case of an adenocarcinoma of the lung associated with metachronous miliary brain and lung metastases with an echinoderm microtubule-associated protein like 4-anaplastic lymphoma kinase (EML4-ALK) gene translocation. The patient was treated with crizotinib and showed a twelve-month progression-free survival. Clinicians should be attentive of the evolution of brain metastases with patients presenting EML4-ALK translocation.
Lung Cancer 2012 Dec
PMID:Adenocarcinoma of the lung with miliary brain and pulmonary metastases with echinoderm microtubule-associated protein like 4-anaplastic lymphoma kinase translocation treated with crizotinib: a case report. 2299 80

Lung cancer in the pregnant woman is a very rare and dramatic coincidence with poor prognosis. Treatment depends on the gestational week of the pregnancy, patient's medical status, social, personal, familial, and even religious beliefs. We present a case of adenocarcinoma of the lung in a 34-year-old pregnant patient whose initial complaints were cough, dyspnea, fever and fatigue. She was diagnosed with pneumonia at another hospital, and antibiotic therapy was administered. Meanwhile, at 28 weeks she delivered a preterm low-birth-weight baby. Chest X-ray and thorax CT revealed a mass lesion in the upper left lung lobe. After admission to our clinic, needle aspiration of left supraclavicular lymph node and bronchoscopic biopsy from upper lobe bronchus showed a non-small lung cancer; adenocarcinoma. Brain MRI was normal. PET CT revealed multiple bone metastases. Multidisciplinary Tumor Committee at our hospital referred her to the Oncology Department as an advanced stage IV disease. Chemotherapy was administered with paclitaxel and carboplatin for a total of 12 weeks. Reassessment of the patient revealed new bone metastases and crizotinib was administered since her tumor was found positive for EML4-ALK mutations. The treatment was well tolerated. During a follow up period of 6 months her clinical condition was stable and no adverse events were encountered.
Lung Cancer 2013 Mar
PMID:Lung cancer and pregnancy. 2325 66

It is often difficult to differentiate metachronous primary lung cancers from local pulmonary recurrences when the histopathological findings are similar. A 43-year-old man underwent right upper lobectomy with lymph node dissection for primary lung adenocarcinoma (p-T2aN0M0, stage IB). Fifteen years later, he developed a lung nodule in his right middle lobe. The tumor was preoperatively thought to be a metachronous second primary lung adenocarcinoma, and was surgically resected. Histopathological findings for both tumors were of poorly differentiated adenocarcinoma with mucus production. Both tumors also harbored the EML4 (echinoderm microtubule-associated protein-like 4)-ALK (anaplastic lymphoma kinase) fusion gene (variant 3a+b). Based on this molecular finding, the pulmonary nodule was considered to be a recurrence after very long latent period.
Lung Cancer 2013 Apr
PMID:Solitary pulmonary metastasis from lung cancer harboring EML4-ALK after a 15-year disease-free interval. 2327 72

The two essential requirements for pathologic specimens in the era of personalized therapies for non-small cell lung carcinoma (NSCLC) are accurate subtyping as adenocarcinoma (ADC) versus squamous cell carcinoma (SqCC) and suitability for EGFR molecular testing, as well as for testing of other oncogenes such as EML4-ALK and KRAS. Actually, the value of EGFR expressed in patients with NSCLC in predicting a benefit in terms of survival from treatment with an epidermal growth factor receptor targeted therapy is still in debate, while there is a convincing evidence on the predictive role of the EGFR mutational status with regard to the response to tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs).This is a literature overview on the state-of-the-art of EGFR oncogenic mutation in NSCLC. It is designed to highlight the preclinical rationale driving the molecular footprint assessment, the progressive development of a specific pharmacological treatment and the best method to identify those NSCLC who would most likely benefit from treatment with EGFR-targeted therapy. This is supported by the belief that a rationale for the prioritization of specific regimens based on patient-tailored therapy could be closer than commonly expected.
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PMID:EGFR-targeted therapy for non-small cell lung cancer: focus on EGFR oncogenic mutation. 2342 68

The EML4-ALK gene translocation was described in a non small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) subset, with a potent oncogenic activity. It represents one of the newest molecular targets in NSCLC. We report on the case of a metachronous second primary lung sarcomatoid carcinoma after resection of lung adenocarcinoma both with ALK translocation, in a non-smoking patient. EML4-ALK rearrangement was detected with immunohistochemistry and confirmed with fluorescent in situ hybridization (FISH). To assess the clonal relationship between the two tumors, both adenocarcinoma and sarcomatoid carcinoma were analyzed by array comparative genomic hybridization (aCGH). We observed different genomic profiles suggesting that the tumors arose independently and were thus multiple primaries. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first report concerning the presence of the EML4-ALK fusion gene in a sarcomatoid carcinoma of the lung. Crizotinib, the ALK tyrosine kinase inhibitor, is highly effective in ALK-rearranged NSCLC; therefore, it may be imperative to identify all NSCLC that harbor ALK translocations in the near future. Starting from our evidence, tumors with sarcomatoid histology may need to be screened for the presence of EML4-ALK rearrangement.
Lung Cancer 2013 Aug
PMID:EML4-ALK translocation in both metachronous second primary lung sarcomatoid carcinoma and lung adenocarcinoma: a case report. 2366 46

The coexistence of EGFR and ALK-EML4 gene mutations represents a rare event (about 1%) in patients with non small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) and the few cases described in the literature have all been treated by different methods. We present the case of a 52-year-old woman with adenocarcinoma of the lung whose tumor had this double genetic aberration. The patient was immediately treated with gefitinib because the tumor was judged inoperable, but after two months she obtained an important clinical remission and was submitted to radical surgery. She is currently undergoing adjuvant treatment with gefitinib. A review of the literature on this double genetic aberration highlighted that further research is needed to define the best therapeutic approach.
Lung Cancer 2013 Aug
PMID:Coexistence of EGFR mutation and ALK translocation in NSCLC: literature review and case report of response to gefitinib. 2368 37

A new RET fusion gene has been recently described in a subset of non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) identified by specific clinico-pathologic characteristics. This transforming gene arise from the fusion of KIF5B and the RET proto-oncogene, and it is mutually exclusive with EGFR, KRAS and EML4/ALK alterations. For this reason it could represent a putative target for specific inhibitory drugs and its evaluation could be necessary in the future daily molecular characterization of NSCLCs. One of the major challenge in diagnostic molecular pathology is to optimize genotyping tests with the minimally invasive techniques used to acquire diagnostic tumor tissue or cells. This is a significant relevant issue for approximately 60% of NSCLC patients presenting with unresectable disease, where the only pathologic materials available for diagnostic use are small biopsy or cytological specimens. Thus, the aim of this study was to verify the possibility to use RNA purified from cytological specimens to perform KIF5B/RET gene fusion expression analysis. Accordingly, we looked for the presence of the rearrangement in formalin fixed paraffin embedded tissues (FFPETs) and cytological specimens (CSs) of a selected series of "triple-marker" negative adenocarcinomas. The tests conducted revealed the presence of 1 positive patient for variant 1 of KIF5B/RET among the 49 analyzed. The presence of this fusion transcript was found in both FFPET and CS of the same patient demonstrating that the RNA obtained from minimally invasive techniques is perfectly suitable for this kind of tests. The presence of the rearrangement was also confirmed by FISH analysis. In conclusion, our findings confirm that the performance of cytology-based molecular testing for KIF5B/RET rearrangements is at least as effective as histology-based analysis, both with regard to the success rate for nucleic acid isolation and the ability to detect gene alterations.
Lung Cancer 2013 Sep
PMID:KIF5B/RET fusion gene analysis in a selected series of cytological specimens of EGFR, KRAS and EML4-ALK wild-type adenocarcinomas of the lung. 2389 10


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