Strong ALK and PD-L1 positive IHC expression related ALK amplification in an advanced lung sarcomatoid carcinoma: A therapeutic trap?

We demonstrated that IHC positive test, in these cases, must be interpreted with caution. FISH analysis has to be recommended to confirm IHC results in case of unusual phenotype, such as smoker or lung cancer other than adenocarcinoma. Although lung carcinoma with ALK rearrangement seems to be not sensitive to ICI, further investigations should be conducted on other types of ALK molecular alterations. ALK amplifications, as observed in the present case, should not be an impediment to taking into account the PD-L1 marking for the initiation of treatment by immunotherapy. READ ARTICLE

Lung Cancer DOI: 10.1016/j.lungcan.2020.12.022.

Authors: Gendarme S, Matton L, Antoine M, Kerrou K, Ruppert AM, Epaud C, Cadranel J, Fallet V.

Case StudyKirk SmithFebruary 15, 2021ALK, Amplification, Immunotherapy, Lung cancer, Sarcomatoid