Comparison of ALK detection by FISH, IHC and NGS to predict benefit from crizotinib in advanced non-small-cell lung cancer

Purpose: Anaplastic lymphoma kinase (ALK) is now a validated kinase target in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). We implemented three ALK laboratory methodologies: fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH), immunohistochemistry (IHC) and next-generation sequencing (NGS) to detect EML4-ALK fusions and compared the predictive value for Crizotinib efficacy in ALK-positive patients. Conclusion: FISH present a certain false-negative rate although considered the gold standard. Ventana-D5F3 IHC is qualified as a screening tool, while NGS positive may predict clinical benefit of Crizotinib more accurately, allowing efficient test for specific variants and concurrent genomic alterations. READ ARTICLE

Lung Cancer DOI:10.1016/j.lungcan.2019.03.018

Authors: Chen Lin, Xun Shi, Shao Yang, Jun Zhao, Qiong He, Ying Jin, Xinmin Yu,