Response to alectinib after one year of discontinuation of crizotinib in anaplastic lymphoma kinase-positive non-small-cell lung cancer: A case report

Abstract

Therapy with crizotinib achieves prolonged progression-free and overall survival in non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) patients with echinoderm microtubule-associated protein-like 4 (EML4)-anaplastic lymphoma kinase (ALK). It was demonstrated that ALK-positive NSCLCs exhibit a high response rate to the ALK inhibitor, crizotinib. However, a proportion of the patients discontinue crizotinib treatment due to adverse events. This is the case report of a NSCLC patient with EML4-ALK rearrangement, who, following crizotinib discontinuation for one year due to adverse events, exhibited a marked response to alectinib. Even if the incidence is not high, clinicians should not overlook the most common crizotinib-related adverse events. Furthermore, certain patients may continue to benefit from alectinib following long-term discontinuation of crizotinib therapy.