Purpose: Patients with anaplastic lymphoma kinase (ALK)–rearranged non–small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) inevitably develop resistance to ALK inhibitors. New diagnostic strategies are needed to assess resistance mechanisms and provide patients with the most effective therapy. We asked whether single circulating tumor cell (CTC) sequencing can inform on resistance mutations to ALK inhibitors and underlying tumor heterogeneity in ALK-rearranged NSCLC. Conclusions: Our results highlight the genetic heterogeneity and clinical utility of CTCs to identify therapeutic resistance mutations in ALK-rearranged patients. Single CTC sequencing may be a unique tool to assess heterogeneous resistance mechanisms and help clinicians for treatment personalization and resistance options to ALK-targeted therapies. READ ARTICLE
Clinical Cancer Research DOI:10.1158/1078-0432.CCR-19-1176
Authors: Emma Pailler, Vincent Faugeroux, Marianne Oulhen, Laura Mezquita, Mélanie Laporte, Aurélie Honoré, Yann Lecluse, Pauline Queffelec, Maud NgoCamus, Claudio Nicotra, Jordi Remon, Ludovic Lacroix, David Planchard, Luc Friboulet, Benjamin Besse and Françoise Farace