Lung Squamous Cell Carcinoma with EML4-ALK Fusion and TP53 Co-mutation Treated with Ensartinib: A Case Report and Literature Review / 中国肺癌杂志

Lung squamous cell carcinoma (LSCC) accounts for approximately 30% of non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) cases and is the second most common histological type of lung cancer. Anaplastic lymphoma kinase (ALK)-positive NSCLC accounts for only 2%-5% of all NSCLC cases, and is almost exclusively detected in patients with lung adenocarcinoma. Thus, ALK testing is not routinely performed in the LSCC population, and the efficacy of such treatment for ALK-rearranged LSCC remains unknown. Echinoderm microtubule associated protein like 4 (EML4)-ALK (V1) and TP53 co-mutations were identified by next generation sequencing (NGS) in this patient with advanced LSCC. On December 3, 2020, Ensatinib was taken orally and the efficacy was evaluated as partial response (PR). The progression-free survival (PFS) was 19 months. When the disease progressed, the medication was changed to Loratinib. To our knowledge, Enshatinib created the longest PFS of ALK-mutant LSCC patients treated with targeted therapy since literature review. Herein, we described one case treated by Enshatinib involving a patient with both EML4-ALK and TP53 positive LSCC, and the relevant literatures were reviewed for discussing the treatment of this rare disease.
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A non-small cell lung carcinoma patient responded to crizotinib therapy after alectinib-induced interstitial lung disease / 浙江大学学报·医学版

A 54-year-old, non-smoking woman was diagnosed as stage ⅣB adenocarcinoma with widespread bone metastasis (cT4N2M1c) in the First Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine. Immunohistochemistry result showed the presence of anaplastic lymphoma kinase (ALK) gene rearrangement; next-generation sequencing (NGS) indicated EML4-ALK fusion (E6:A20) with concurrent CCDC148-ALK (C1:A20), PKDCC-ALK (Pintergenic:A20)and VIT-ALK (V15:A20) fusions. After 32 weeks of alectinib treatment, the patient complained cough and exertional chest distress but had no sign of infection. Computed tomography (CT) showed bilateral diffuse ground glass opacities, suggesting a diagnosis of alectinib-related interstitial lung disease (ILD). Following corticosteroid treatment and discontinuation of alectinib, clinical presentations and CT scan gradually improved, but the primary lung lesions enlarged during the regular follow-up. The administration of crizotinib was then initiated and the disease was stable for 25 months without recurrence of primary lung lesions and ILD.

Potential unreliability of ALK variant allele frequency in the efficacy prediction of targeted therapy in NSCLC / 医学前沿

Anaplastic lymphoma kinase (ALK) is the most common fusion gene involved in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), and remarkable response has been achieved with the use of ALK tyrosine kinase inhibitors (ALK-TKIs). However, the clinical efficacy is highly variable. Pre-existing intratumoral heterogeneity (ITH) has been proven to contribute to the poor treatment response and the resistance to targeted therapies. In this work, we investigated whether the variant allele frequencies (VAFs) of ALK fusions can help assess ITH and predict targeted therapy efficacy. Through the application of next-generation sequencing (NGS), 7.2% (326/4548) of patients were detected to be ALK positive. On the basis of the adjusted VAF (adjVAF, VAF normalization for tumor purity) of four different threshold values (adjVAF < 50%, 40%, 30%, or 20%), the association of ALK subclonality with crizotinib efficacy was assessed. Nonetheless, no statistical association was observed between median progression-free survival (PFS) and ALK subclonality assessed by adjVAF, and a poor correlation of adjVAF with PFS was found among the 85 patients who received first-line crizotinib. Results suggest that the ALK VAF determined by hybrid capture-based NGS is probably unreliable for ITH assessment and targeted therapy efficacy prediction in NSCLC.

Ceritinib as First-line Treatment for Advanced Lung Adenocarcinoma with COX7A2L-ALK Fusion: A Case Report and Literature Review / 中国肺癌杂志

Lung cancer is the most common in incidence and mortality worldwide. With the development of next generation sequencing (NGS) detection technology, more and more patients with rare anaplastic lymphoma kinase (ALK) fusion mutations were detected. A case of advanced lung adenocarcinoma with rare COX7A2L-ALK (C2:A20) fusion detected by NGS was reported in Peking Union Medical College Hospital, and all cases with rare ALK fusion mutations were searched from medical datebase from January 1, 2014 to March 31, 2021, to investigate the treatment of rare ALK fusion mutations with ALK inhibitors. The best response of the patient was assessed as partial response (PR) with Ceritinib treatment. By literature review, 22 cases of rare ALK fusion were reported in 19 articles. Combined with this case, 23 cases were analyzed. The objective response rate (ORR) was 82.6% (19/23) and disease control rate (DCR) was 95.7% (22/23) for rare ALK fusions patients treated with ALK inhibitors. Lung adenocarcinoma patients with rare ALK fusion could benefit from ALK inhibitors.
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Gastrointestinal ALK-positive anaplastic large cell lymphoma: a clinicopathological analysis of five cases / 中华病理学杂志

Objective: To investigate the clinicpathological characteristics of ALK-positive anaplastic large cell lymphoma (ALCL) of the gastrointestinal tract, and to discuss its diagnosis and differential diagnosis. Methods: Five cases of gastrointestinal ALK-positive ALCL diagnosed and treated in Xijing Hospital of the Fourth Military Medical University, between 2011 and 2019 were collected. There were three male and two female patients, aged 5-42 years (mean 25 years). These patients clinically presented with fever and night sweats, weight loss, abdominal pain, abdominal mass, ulcers, bleeding, or intestinal obstruction, and underwent surgical resection of the tumors or endoscopic biopsy. The clinical manifestations, auxiliary examinations, histopathological characteristics, immunophenotypes and genetic alterations were analyzed. Results: In this cohort, one case was common type, two cases were monomorphic variant of common type, and two cases were small cell variant. The tumor cells in all cases expressed ALK, CD30, and one or more T lymphocyte markers, while all the markers of B lymphocyte and plasmacyte were negative. Clonality analysis showed that two cases had clonal T cell receptor (TCR) and immunoglobulin (Ig) gene rearrangement, one case had no clonal TCR but Ig gene rearrangement, and one case had no clonal TCR and Ig gene rearrangements. During the 4 to 67 months' follow-up, two patients died of the disease, two were alive with free of disease and one had a relapse. Conclusions: ALK-positive ALCL of the gastrointestinal tract is extremely rare, and has poor prognosis. Lymphoma originating from this site with CD30 and ALK-positive phenotypes may be considered to be ALCL; however differentiation from other tumors that had anaplastic features, expressed CD30 and or ALK, in particular, ALK positive large B-cell lymphoma is necessary.

Relationship between EGFR, ALK Gene Mutation and Imaging and Pathological Features in Invasive Lung Adenocarcinoma / 中国肺癌杂志

BACKGROUND@#At present, the research progress of targeted therapy for epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) and anaplastic lymphoma kinase (ALK) gene mutations in lung adenocarcinoma is very rapid, which brings new hope for the treatment of advanced lung adenocarcinoma patients. However, the specific imaging and pathological features of EGFR and ALK gene mutations in adenocarcinoma are still controversial. This study will further explore the correlation between EGFR, ALK gene mutations and imaging and pathological features in invasive lung adenocarcinoma.@*METHODS@#A total of 525 patients with lung adenocarcinoma who underwent surgery in our center from January 2018 to December 2019 were included. According to the results of postoperative gene detection, the patients were divided into EGFR gene mutation group, ALK gene mutation group and wild group, and the EGFR gene mutation group was divided into exon 19 and exon 21 subtypes. The pathological features of the mutation group and wild group, such as histological subtype, lymph node metastasis, visceral pleural invasion (VPI) and imaging features such as tumor diameter, consolidation tumor ratio (CTR), lobulation sign, spiculation sign, pleural retraction sign, air bronchus sign and vacuole sign were analyzed by univariate analysis and multivariate Logistic regression analysis to explore whether the gene mutation group had specific manifestations.@*RESULTS@#EGFR gene mutation group was common in women (OR=2.041, P=0.001), with more pleural traction sign (OR=1.506, P=0.042), and had little correlation with lymph node metastasis and VPI (P>0.05). Among them, exon 21 subtype was more common in older (OR=1.022, P=0.036), women (OR=2.010, P=0.007), and was associated with larger tumor diameter (OR=1.360, P=0.039) and pleural traction sign (OR=1.754, P=0.029). Exon 19 subtype was common in women (OR=2.230, P=0.009), with a high proportion of solid components (OR=1.589, P=0.047) and more lobulation sign (OR=2.762, P=0.026). ALK gene mutations were likely to occur in younger patients (OR=2.950, P=0.045), with somking history (OR=1.070, P=0.002), and there were more micropapillary components (OR=4.184, P=0.019) and VPI (OR=2.986, P=0.034) in pathology.@*CONCLUSIONS@#The EGFR and ALK genes mutated adenocarcinomas have specific imaging and clinicopathological features, and the mutations in exon 19 or exon 21 subtype have different imaging features, which is of great significance in guiding the clinical diagnosis and treatment of pulmonary nodules.

Anaplastic lymphoma kinase-translocation renal cell carcinoma: clinical and pathological analysis / 中华病理学杂志

Objective: To investigate the clinicopathological features, molecular characteristics, differential diagnosis and prognosis of anaplastic lymphoma kinase (ALK)-translocation renal cell carcinoma. Methods: Two cases of ALK-translocation renal cell carcinoma diagnosed from January 2011 to December 2020 were retrospectively analyzed to characterize their morphological features, immunohistochemical expression and prognosis. Multiple molecular studies including fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH), reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR), and next-generation sequencing were performed to characterize the genetic alterations. Results: Two patients included one male and one female, with 59 and 57 years old, respectively. Morphologically, case 1 resembled collecting duct carcinoma or renal medullary carcinoma, which demonstrated tubular, microcapsule and reticular structures, with a remarkable myxoid background and lymphocytes infiltration; case 2 resembled Xp11.2 translocation renal cell carcinoma or type 2 papillary renal cell carcinoma, which demonstrated tubular papillary and focal solid structures, with flocculent cytoplasm and many foamy histiocytes, but without myxoid background and lymphocytes infiltration. Immunohistochemistry showed strongly positive expression of ALK. CK7, E-cadherin, vimentin, PAX8 and CD10 showed various degrees of expression, and other antibodies were nonreactive. A variety of molecular assays showed definite ALK gene translocation, with rare VCL-ALK gene fusion (VCL exon and 16-ALK exon 20) in case 1, and EML4-ALK gene fusion (EML4 exon and 2-ALK exon 20) in case 2. Conclusions: ALK-translocation renal cell carcinoma is rare with various morphological features, and is easy to miss and misdiagnose. The characteristic ALK expression and molecular detection of ALK translocation are helpful for diagnosing this type of renal cell carcinoma.

Expert consensus on ensartinib in the treatment of anaplastic lymphoma kinase-positive non-small cell lung cancer / 中华肿瘤杂志

The mutation rate of anaplastic lymphoma kinase (ALK) in patients with non-small cell lung cancer is 3% to 7%. Due to its low mutation rate and better long-term survival compared with epidermal growth factor receptor-positive non-small cell lung cancer patients, therefore, it's called "diamond mutation". At present, there are three generations of ALK tyrosine kinase inhibitor (TKI) drugs in the world. The first-generation ALK-TKI drug approved in China is crizotinib, and the second-generation drugs are alectinib, ceritinib and ensartinib. Among them, ensartinib is an ALK-TKI domestically developed, and its efficacy is similar to that of alectinib. The main adverse event is transient rash, and compliance to ensartinib is better from the perspective of long-term survival of patients. The manifestation of rash caused by ensartinib is different from that of other ALK-TKI drugs. In order to facilitate clinical application and provide patients with more treatment options, under the guidance of the Committee of Cancer Rehabilitation and Palliative Care of China Anti-Cancer Association, this article collects and summarizes the common adverse reactions of ensartinib. Based on the clinical practice, a clear adverse classification and specific treatment plan are formulated, in order to provide a corresponding reference for clinicians to make more comprehensive clinical decisions.

ALK+ Anaplastic large cell lymphoma with extensive cardiac involvement: A rare case report and review of the literature

Cardiac lymphoma is a rare entity. In this setting, the secondary involvement of the heart is far more frequent than the primary cardiac lymphoma. Herein, we present an autopsy case of a disseminated anaplastic lymphoma kinase (ALK)-positive anaplastic large cell lymphoma with a dominant mediastinal involvement. Extensive cardiac infiltration with the near replacement of the myocardial wall by the neoplastic cells was observed. A total of nine isolated case reports of anaplastic large cell lymphoma with cardiac involvement were found in the English-language literature, and a widespread cardiac and thymic infiltration by the systemic ALK-positive anaplastic large cell lymphoma has not been documented. An incidental regenerative nodule was also identified in the liver. The patient died of pulmonary thromboembolism and cardiac arrest.

Prevalência do rearranjo do gene ROS1 em carcinoma de pulmão de células não pequenas não escamoso, EGFR e ALK negativo: análise de uma coorte brasileira / Prevalence of ROS1 gene rearrangements in EGFR-Negative and ALK-negative nonsquamous NSCLC: analysis of a Brazilian cohort

Introdução: A prevalência do câncer de pulmão tem aumentado cerca de 2% ao ano e é considerado um problema de saúde pública mundial, sendo a principal causa de morte por câncer entre homens e mulheres. O Câncer de Pulmão de Células Não Pequenas (CPCNP) representa 85-90% dos cânceres de pulmão. A detecção do rearranjo do gene ROS1, considerada um importante fator preditivo para direcionamento terapêutico, constitui uma etapa crítica no tratamento de CPCNP. Objetivo: Avaliar a prevalência do rearranjo do gene ROS1 em pacientes portadores de CPCNP não escamoso, sem mutação de EGFR ou rearranjo de ALK, diagnosticados na Região da Foz do Rio Itajaí, Estado de Santa Catarina, Brasil, no período de 02/01/2019 a 27/07/2020. Materiais e Métodos: Estudo observacional, retrospectivo e prospectivo, descrito e analítico com 95 pacientes que possuíam material de biópsia suficiente para a realização de novas análises e que não apresentavam mutação de EGFR ou rearranjo de ALK. Os pacientes com imuno-histoquímica positiva para a proteína ROS1 foram testados pelo método de FISH, utilizando-se uma sonda de DNA do tipo break-apart para o gene ROS1. Foi realizada uma análise descritiva da amostra, e os resultados foram apresentados em números absolutos e porcentagens, representados por tabelas. O teste de qui-quadrado (χ2) foi empregado para comparação das frequências entre os grupos analisados. Resultados: 52,6% foram pacientes do sexo masculino; a idade mediana foi de 64 anos; 54,7% declararam-se tabagistas; 40,0% apresentavam doença estágio IV; 29,5% apresentaram tumores com alta expressão de PD-L1. Quanto a expressão de ROS1 por imuno-histoquímica: 89,5% foram identificados como ROS1+ em 0% das células tumorais, 4,2% como ROS1+ em <70% das células, e 6,3% como ROS1+ em ≥70% das células do tumor; portanto, 10,5% apresentaram resultados positivos para expressão de ROS1. Estes pacientes foram submetidos à análise de rearranjo de ROS1 pelo método de FISH e 7 (7,4%) apresentaram resultados positivos. Conclusão: Na população estudada, a análise pelo método de FISH mostrou uma prevalência de 7,4% para rearranjos do gene ROS1

Introduction: Lung cancer prevalence has been increasing at rate of 2% per year and is considered a major public health concern worldwide, being the main cause of cancer death among women and men. Non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) represents 85-90% of total lung cancer. Detecting the rearrangement of the ROS1 gene is critical to the treatment of NSCLC. Objective: To assess the prevalence of the ROS1 gene rearrangement in patients diagnosed with non-squamous NSCLC patients diagnosed between January 2019 to July 2020 at Foz do Rio Itajaí, in the state of Santa Catarina, Brazil. Materials and Methods: This is a retrospective and prospective observational study Ninety-five NSCLC whose tumors were negative for EGFR mutation and ALK rearrangement and who had enough tumor tissue to carry out additional molecular analysis. Patients whose tumors were positive for ROS1 by immune-histochemistry were tested using by FISH using a break-apart DNA probe (Abbot Molecular) for the ROS1 gene. A descriptive analysis was performed and results were presented as absolute frequencies and percentages and depicted in charts. Frequencies were compared with the chi-squared test (χ2). Results: 52,6% were male, mean and median age were 65,10 and 64 years, respectively. 54,7% self-declared as smokers; 40,0% had stage IV disease; 29,5% had tumours with high expression of PD-L1. Regarding the expression of ROS1 by immunohistochemistry: 89,5% were identified as ROS1+ in 0% of cells, 4,2% as ROS1+ in <70% of cells, and 6,3% as ROS1+ in ≥70% of the cells; therefore, 10,5% displayed positive results for the expression of ROS1+. These tumors were subjected to the analysis of ROS1 rearrangement by FISH and 7 (7,4%) were positive. Conclusion: We observed 7,4% prevalence for ROS1 gene rearrangements in this pre-selected population

Epithelioid inflammatory myofibroblastic sarcoma: the youngest case reported

Epithelioid inflammatory myofibroblastic sarcoma (EIMS) is a rare variant of the inflammatory myofibroblastic tumor. It has an aggressive clinical course and a high rate of recurrence. EIMS primarily affects children and young adults. Hereby, we report this entity in a 4-month-old infant who presented with an abdominal mass. Imaging studies revealed a large hypodense mesentery-based lesion involving the right half and mid-region of the abdomen. The mass with an attached segment of the small bowel was excised in toto. Grossly, a large encapsulated tumor was identified arising from the mesentery of the small bowel. The histological examination showed a tumor consisting of epithelioid to spindle cells loosely arranged in a myxoid background with numerous blood vessels and lymphoplasmacytic inflammatory infiltrate. On immunohistochemistry, the tumor cells showed positivity for ALK1 (nuclear), desmin, SMA, CD68, and focal positivity for CD30. A final diagnosis of EIMS of the small intestine was rendered. To the best of our knowledge, this case is the youngest reported case in literature.

Systemic ALK-positive anaplastic large cell lymphoma involving implant site: a fortuitous association

Anaplastic lymphoma kinase (ALK) positive, anaplastic large cell lymphoma involving the non-mammary implant is an extremely rare presentation. Irrespective of the type or site, the implant-associated primary ALCL is morphologically and immunophenotypically similar to ALK-negative ALCLs. Herein, we present the case of a 42-year-old male who developed a lytic lesion after an implant for a right femur fracture. The lytic lesion biopsy revealed anaplastic large cell lymphoma with ALK protein expression. Imaging findings showed the widespread dissemination of disease all over the body, entrapping the implant too. ALCL involving the bone implant is a very unusual and rare presentation that needs to be documented.

Treatment of ALK Positive Non-small Cell Lung Cancer with Alectinib: A Case Report and Literature Review / 中国肺癌杂志

Lung cancer is a malignant tumor with high incidence rate and mortality rate in China and even the whole world, of which non-small cell lung cancer accounts for about 80%. Anaplastic lymphoma kinase (ALK) gene mutation accounts for about 5%. Alectinib, ALK-tyrosine kinase inhibitor (ALK-TKI), has great performance in clinical. The early detection and treatment of adverse drug reactions can greatly improve clinical benefits. This paper reports a patient of ALK positive non-small cell lung cancer was admited to Baotou Central Hospital in April 2020. The diagnosis and treatment was retrospectively analyzed, and the literature was reviewed.
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Caso atípico de leucemia mieloide aguda con coexistencia de NPM1-A e inversión del cromosoma 16 / A rare case of acute myeloid leukemia with coexistence of NPM1-A mutation and chromosome 16 inversion

Introducción: La leucemia mieloide aguda (LMA) es un grupo heterogéneo de desórdenes clonales con una gran variabilidad en términos de patogénesis, características morfológicas, genéticas e inmunofenotípicas. Las mutaciones en el gen NPM1 representan una de las más comunes en las LMA y está asociada con una respuesta clínica favorable. Por citogenética, la inversión del cromosoma 16 define el subgrupo de las LMA de factor de unión al grupo con un pronóstico favorable. Objetivo: Describir un caso con diagnóstico de LMA en los cuales el estudio molecular del gen NPM1 y de la inv(16) fueron positivos. Caso clínico: A nivel molecular, la hibridación in situ fluorescente fue positivo a la inv(16) y por biología molecular fue positivo tanto a la inv(16) como al gen NPM1-A, elementos de baja frecuencia de aparición. Se le administró a la paciente un esquema de poliquimioterapia no intensiva para mejorarla clínicamente. Después de una mejoría clínica inicial, la paciente comenzó con complicaciones y falleció. Conclusiones: La coexistencia de estas dos mutaciones es muy poco frecuente en pacientes con LMA, y a pesar de ser de buen pronóstico la paciente falleció a los pocos días de tratamiento(AU)

Introduction: Acute myeloid leukemia (AML) is a heterogeneous group of clonal disorders with great variability in terms of pathogenesis, morphological, genetic and immunophenotypic characteristics. NPM1 mutations represent one of the most common in AML and are associated with favorable clinical response. By cytogenetics, chromosome 16 inversion defines, with a favorable prognosis, the core‐binding factor for the subgroup of AMLs Objective: To describe a AML case in which the molecular study of the NPM1 gene and the chromosome 16 inversion were positive. Clinical case: At the molecular level, fluorescent in situ hybridization was positive for chromosome 16 inversion and, by molecular biology, it was positive for both chromosome 16 inversion and for the NPM1-A gene, elements with a low frequency of appearance. The patient was administered a non-intensive combination as part of a chemotherapy regimen to improve her clinical status. After initial clinical improvement, the patient began with complications and died. Conclusions: The coexistence of these two mutations is very rare in patients with AML. Despite presenting a good prognosis, the patient died after a few days of treatment(AU)

Semiquantitative parameters of 18F-FDG PET/CT, gene mutation states of epidermal growth factor receptor and anaplastic lymphoma kinase in prognosis evaluation of patients with lung adenocarcinoma / 北京大学学报(医学版)

OBJECTIVE@#To explore the valuable predictors for evaluating progression-free survival (PFS) in patients with lung adenocarcinoma, we analyzed the potential roles of standardized uptake value (SUV)-derived parameters from 18F-FDG PET/CT, combining with the gene mutation states of epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) and anaplastic lymphoma kinase (ALK), and other clinical characteristics.@*METHODS@#Data of 84 lung adenocarcinoma patients pre-treated, who underwent 18F-FDG PET/CT scans, EGFR gene mutations test, ALK rearrangement assay and other relative tests, were retrospectively collected. Then a series of clinical parameters including EGFR/ALK mutation status and SUV-derived features [maximum standardized uptake value (SUVmax), average of standardized uptake value (SUVmean), metabolic tumor volume (MTV), and total lesion glycolysis (TLG)] were evaluated. Best possible cutoff points for all measuring parameters were calculated using receiver operating characteristic curve (ROC) analysis. Survival analysis was performed using Cox proportional hazards model to determine the prognostic markers for progression-free survival (PFS). Survival curves were obtained through Log-rank test and Kaplan-Meier curve.@*RESULTS@#The median follow-up period was 31 months (24 to 58 months). It was found that SUVmax (≥3.01), SUVmean (≥2.25), MTV (≥25.41 cm3), and TLG (≥55.02) of the primary tumors were significantly associated with PFS in univariate Cox proportional hazards regression. Then regardless of age, gender, co-morbidity, EGFR/ALK mutation status, and treatment program, TLG (≥ 55.02, HR=4.965, 95%CI: 1.360-18.133), TNM stage (Ⅲ/Ⅳ, HR=7.811, 95%CI: 2.977-20.489), pro-gastrin releasing peptide (proGRP) (≥45.65 ng/L, HR=4.070, 95%CI: 1.442-11.487), tissue polypeptide antigen (TPA) (≥68.20 U/L, HR=6.996, 95%CI: 1.458-33.574), alkaline phosphatase (ALP) (≥82.50 IU/L, HR=4.160, 95%CI: 1.416-12.219) and ratio of activated partial thromboplastin time (aPTTR) (≥1.16: HR=4.58, 95%CI: 1.913-10.946) showed the independently relevant to PFS through multivariate Cox proportional hazards analysis. The EGFR mutant (P=0.343) and ALK rearrangement (P=0.608) were not significant either in survival analysis.@*CONCLUSION@#High SUV-derived parameters (SUVmax, SUVmean, MTV and TLG) might provide prognostic value to some extent. Especially, TLG, and other clinical features [TNM stage, proGRP, TPA, ALP, and aPTTR] could be independently and significantly associated with PFS of lung adenocarcinoma patients. However, EGFR/ALK gene status could not be effectively relevant to PFS in lung adenocarcinoma patients.

Clinical characteristics and prognostic factors of 40 cases of primary systemic anaplastic large cell lymphoma / 中华血液学杂志

Objective: To analyze the clinical features and prognostic factors of primary systemic anaplastic large cell lymphoma (ALCL) . Methods: 40 ALCL cases treated in the First Affiliated Hospital of Zhejiang University from January 2013 to December 2018 were retrospectively analyzed. Results: ① With a median age of 41 (14-67) years, there were 29 males and 11 females, 36 patients (90.0%) had Ann Arbor stage Ⅲ-Ⅳ tumors, 23 patients (57.5%) were in high-intermediate or high international prognostic index (IPI) risk group. 25 patients (62.5%) had B symptoms, such as fever, emaciation and night sweat.38 patients (95.0%) had extranodal invasion, 25 patients (62.5%) had higher LDH level, and 25 patients (62.5%) had high expression of Ki-67 (80% or more) . With 22 ALK(+) patients (55.0%) and 18 ALK(-) patients (45.0%) , there was a significantly difference in the median age of the two groups [29 (14-67) years old vs 51.5 (19-67) years old, P=0.003]. ② All patients received chemotherapy, 18 cases were treated with CHOP (cyclophosphamide, doxorubicin, vindesine, prednisone) , 12 cases with ECHOP (cyclophosphamide, doxorubicin, vindesine, prednisone, etoposide) , 10 cases with other treatments and 26 patients (65.0%) obtained complete remission (CR) . ALK(-) (P=0.029, OR=13.458) and Ki-67 expression of 80% or more (P=0.04, OR=14.453) were independent factors of CR rate, the CR rate of ECHOP chemotherapy was higher than CHOP chemotherapy (P=0.026) . ③ LDH level, IPI score, ALK expression and chemotherapy regimen had significantly effect on progression free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS) (P<0.05) . Conclusion: The study shows that primary systemic ALCL usually occurs in males, the average age of ALK(+) patients were younger than ALK(-) patients. Most patients are in stage Ⅲ-Ⅳ with extranodal invasion, more than half of the patients have B symptoms, elevated LDH, and high expression of Ki-67. The expression level of Ki-67, ALK expression, and chemotherapy regimen have prognostic value for CR rate, the LDH level, IPI score, ALK expression and chemotherapy regimen for PFS and OS. ECHOP is a better choice with improved prognosis.

Molecular profile of non-small cell lung cancer in northeastern Brazil / Perfil molecular do carcinoma pulmonar de células não pequenas no Nordeste brasileiro

ABSTRACT Objective: To investigate the histological subtypes and mutational profiles of non-small cell lung cancer in Brazil, looking for correlations among histological subtypes, expression of anaplastic lymphoma kinase (ALK), EGFR mutation status, and programmed death-ligand 1 (PD-L1) expression. Methods: We evaluated 173 specimens obtained from patients with lung adenocarcinoma in northeastern Brazil. Expression of PD-L1 and ALK was evaluated by immunohistochemistry; EGFR mutation status was evaluated by sequencing. We categorized the histological subtypes in accordance with the International Association for the Study of Lung Cancer/American Thoracic Society/European Respiratory Society classification. Results: The most common histological subtypes of lung adenocarcinoma were solid predominant (in 46.8%), acinar predominant (in 37.0%), and lepidic predominant (in 9.8%). ALK expression was detected in 10.4% of the samples, and 22.0% of the tumors harbored EGFR mutations. The most common EGFR mutation was an exon 21 L858R point mutation (in 45.5%), followed by an exon 19 deletion (in 36.3%). The tumor proportion score for PD-L1 expression was ≥ 50% in 18.2% of the samples, 1-49% in 32.7%, and 0% in 49.5%. The solid predominant subtype was significantly associated with wild-type EGFR status (p = 0.047). Positivity for PD-L1 expression was not found to be significantly associated with ALK expression or EGFR mutation status. Conclusions: Our results suggest that the molecular profile of non-small cell lung cancer in northeastern Brazil differs from those of populations in other regions of the country, with ALK positivity being higher than the other biomarkers. Further studies including clinical and genetic information are required to confirm these differences, as well as studies focusing on populations living in different areas of the country.

RESUMO Objetivo: Investigar os subtipos histológicos e perfis de mutação do carcinoma pulmonar de células não pequenas no Brasil, bem como as correlações entre os subtipos histológicos, a expressão do gene anaplastic lymphoma kinase (ALK, quinase do linfoma anaplásico), o estado de mutação do gene EGFR e a expressão de programmed death-ligand 1 (PD-L1, ligante de morte celular programada 1). Métodos: Avaliamos 173 espécimes provenientes de pacientes com adenocarcinoma pulmonar no Nordeste brasileiro. A expressão de PD-L1 e ALK foi avaliada por meio de imuno-histoquímica, ao passo que o estado de mutação do EGFR foi avaliado por meio de sequenciamento. Os subtipos histológicos foram classificados de acordo com a International Association for the Study of Lung Cancer/American Thoracic Society/European Respiratory Society. Resultados: Os subtipos histológicos mais comuns de adenocarcinoma pulmonar foram o predominantemente sólido (em 46,8%), o predominantemente acinar (em 37,0%) e o predominantemente lepídico (em 9,8%). A expressão de ALK foi detectada em 10,4% das amostras, e 22,0% dos tumores apresentavam mutações do gene EGFR. As mutações mais comuns do EGFR foram a mutação pontual L858R no éxon 21 (em 45,5%) e a deleção do éxon 19 (em 36,3%). O tumor proportion score relativo à expressão de PD-L1 foi ≥ 50% em 18,2% das amostras, = 1-49% em 32,7% e = 0% em 49,5%. O subtipo predominantemente sólido relacionou-se significativamente com EGFR selvagem (p = 0,047). A expressão positiva de PD-L1 não se relacionou significativamente com a expressão de ALK ou o estado de mutação do EGFR. Conclusões: Nossos resultados sugerem que o perfil molecular do carcinoma pulmonar de células não pequenas no Nordeste brasileiro difere do de populações em outras regiões do país: a expressão positiva de ALK é maior que os demais biomarcadores. Mais estudos com informações clínicas e genéticas são necessários para confirmar essas diferenças, além de estudos que se concentrem em populações em diferentes áreas do país.

Advanced Pneumonic-type Lung Carcinoma: A Retrospective Study of Clinical-radiological-pathological Characteristics with Survival Analysis in A Single Chinese Hospital / 中国肺癌杂志

BACKGROUND@#Pneumonic-type lung carcinoma is a special type of lung cancer both clinically and radiologically. Here we present our experience on pneumonic-type lung carcinoma in an attempt to investigate the clinical, radiological and pathological features, diagnostic procedures, treatment, and prognosis of this type of tumor.@*METHODS@#Pathologically confirmed lung cancer with a chest CT characterized by ground glass opacity or consolidation was defined as pneumonic-type lung carcinoma. Cases with advanced pneumonic-type lung carcinoma admitted to Peking Union Medical College Hospital (PUMCH) from January 1, 2013 to August 30, 2018 were enrolled. Retrospective analysis of clinical data and survival follow-up of these patients was conducted.@*RESULTS@#A total of 46 cases were enrolled, all of which were adenocarcinoma. Cough (41/46, 89.1%) and expectoration (35/46, 76.1%) were the most prominent symptoms. The most frequent chest CT findings were ground glass attenuation (87.0%), patchy consolidation (84.8%), and multiple ground-glass nodules (84.8%). Multiple cystic changes (40%) and cavitation (13%) were also quite frequent. Ipsilateral and contralateral intrapulmonary metastasis were noted in 95.3% and 84.8% of cases respectively. The median duration from symptom onset to diagnosis was 214 days (95%CI: 129-298). Both surgical lung biopsy and CT-guided percutaneous lung biopsy had a diagnostic yield of 100%. Transbronchial lung biopsy (TBLB) combined with bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) had a diagnostic yield of 80.9% (17/21). Sputum cytology had a diagnostic yield of 45% (9/20). Twenty-six cases were invasive mucinous adenocarcinoma (26/46, 56.5%) and the remainder were unable to identify pathological subtypes due to lack of adequate biopsy sample size. EGFR mutation was detected in 15.8% (6/38) of patients and ALK rearrangement was detected in 3.0% (1/33) of patients. The median overall survival for these patients was 522 d (95%CI: 424-619). In patients without EGFR mutation or ALK rearrangement, chemotherapy significantly improved survival (HR=0.155, P=0.002,2). The median overall survival was 547 d (95%CI: 492-602 d) with chemotherapy and 331 d (95%CI: 22-919) without chemotherapy.@*CONCLUSIONS@#Diagnosis of pneumonic-type carcinoma is usually delayed due to clinical and radiological features mimicking pulmonary infection. TBLB combined with BAL has a quite high diagnostic yield. The most frequent histological type is invasive mucinous adenocarcinoma. The incidence of EGFR mutation or ALK rearrangement is low in pneumonic-type carcinoma. For patients without cancer driver genes, chemotherapy is recommended to improve overall survival.

Distribution of molecular subtypes of advanced lung adenocarcinoma and clinical outcomes in a center of Argentina

The prevalence of relevant oncogenic drivers in lung adenocarcinoma varies in our region and data on clinical outcomes is scarce. The objective of the study was to describe the prevalence of KRAS, BRAF and EGFR mutations and ALK translocations in patients with advanced lung adenocarcinoma, and to depict the clinical outcome according to treatment strategies. Patients with adequate tumor biopsy sampling were included. KRAS, BRAF and EGFR mutations were studied by Sanger sequencing. ALK translocations were studied by fluorescent in situ hybridization (FISH) and immunohistochemistry (IH) with antibodies against ALK with clones D5F3 and 5A4. Informed consent was signed by 118 patients and 84 (72%) with complete molecular analysis were included. KRAS mutations were detected in 16 samples (19%), EGFR in 11 (13%), 9 of them conferring sensitivity to EGFR inhibitors, and BRAF mutations in 1 (1%). ALK translocations were detected in 3 samples (4%). Median follow-up was 42.4 [interquartile range (IQR): 27.0-64.2] months. Globally, median overall survival was 10.3 [IQR: 5.6-20.2] months. Median survival was 10.8 [IQR: 6.0-20.3] months in the group of patients without detectable molecular alteration, 9.6 [IQR: 3.7-16.1] months in KRAS mutant population (HR: 1.08; p = 0.82) and 32.5 [IQR: 19.6-38.4] months in patients with ALK translocations or sensitizing EGFR mutated tumors treated with tyrosine kinase inhibitors (HR: 0.27; p = 0.03). In conclusion, the prevalence of molecular alterations and outcomes in our population is similar to that reported in other studies in Western countries.

La prevalencia de alteraciones en oncogenes en adenocarcinoma de pulmón varía en nuestra región. El objetivo fue describir la prevalencia de mutaciones en KRAS, BRAF y EGFR y las translocaciones de ALK en pacientes con adenocarcinoma de pulmón y estudiar la supervivencia de acuerdo a subtipos moleculares. Se incluyeron pacientes con biopsias adecuadas para el estudio. Se evaluó el estado mutacional de KRAS, BRAF y EGFR por secuenciación con la técnica de Sanger. Las translocaciones de ALK se estudiaron por hibridación in situ por fluorescencia (FISH) e inmunohistoquimica (IHQ) contra ALK (clones D5F3 y 5A4). De 118 pacientes evaluados, se incluyeron 84 (72%) con análisis molecular completo. Se detectaron mutaciones de KRAS en 16 muestras (19%), EGFR en 11 (13%), y BRAF en 1 muestra (1%). Se detectaron rearreglos de ALK en 3 muestras (4%). La mediana de seguimiento de los pacientes fue de 42.4 [rango intercuatilo (RIC): 27.0-64.2] meses. Globalmente, la mediana de supervivencia en la población fue 10.3 [RIC: 5.6-20.2] meses y fue de 10.8 [RIC: 6.0 20.3] meses en pacientes sin alteraciones moleculares detectables. La mediana de supervivencia de los pacientes con mutación en KRAS fue de 9.6 [RIC: 3.7-16.1] meses (HR: 1.08; p = 0.82) y 32.5 [RIC: 19.6-38.4] meses en el grupo con rearreglos de ALK o mutaciones en EGFR tratados con inhibidores de tirosina quinasa (HR: 0.27; p = 0.03). En conclusión, la prevalencia de alteraciones moleculares en nuestra población fue similar a otros países occidentales.