Secondary EML4–ALK-positive Lung Adenocarcinoma in a Patient Previously Treated for Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia in Childhood: A Case Report

Abstract

It is widely recognized that the risk of secondary neoplasms increases as childhood cancer survivors progress through adulthood. These are mainly hematological malignancies, and recurrent chromosome translocations are commonly detected in such cases. On the other hand, while secondary epithelial malignancies have sometimes been reported, chromosome translocations in these epithelial malignancies have not. A 33-year-old man who had been diagnosed with acute lymphoblastic leukemia and treated with chemotherapy almost 20 years earlier was diagnosed with lung adenocarcinoma. After chromosomal rearrangement of echinoderm microtubule-associated protein-like 4 gene and the anaplastic lymphoma kinase gene was detected in this adenocarcinoma, he responded to treatment with crizotinib. It was therefore concluded that this echinoderm microtubule-associated protein-like 4 gene-anaplastic lymphoma kinase gene-positive lung adenocarcinoma was a secondary epithelial malignancy.

QSAR‐based targeting anaplastic lymphoma kinase (ALK) variants with noncognate inhibitors in pediatric acute lymphoblastic leukemia

“…Activating mutations or translocations of ALK gene have been identified in many ALK‐driven tumors in children, including the acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) . In recent years, targeting ALK with small‐molecule kinase inhibitors has been becoming a potential therapeutics strategy for the treatment of ALK‐driven pediatric ALL.…”

“…3 Activating mutations or translocations of ALK gene have been identified in many ALK-driven tumors in children, 4 including the acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL). 5,6 In recent years, targeting ALK with small-molecule kinase inhibitors has been becoming a potential therapeutics strategy for the treatment of ALK-driven pediatric ALL. Acute lymphoblastic leukemia inhibition can be used to disrupt the signaling cascade related to cell survival, producing an apoptotic response in tumor cell; many small-molecule ALK kinase inhibitors have been developed to treat a number of cancers, such as the crizotinib, the first oral ALK inhibitor that received accelerated approval by US Food and Drug Administration to treat ALK-positive lung cancer.…”