Rapid Flare of Brain Metastases in ALK-Positive Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer after Stopping Crizotinib

Abstract

The prevalence of Anaplastic lymphoma kinase(ALK) rearrangement in NSCLC is about 7-10%. Currently, there are several ALK inhibitors available in treating this group of patients. Brain metastases occur in approximately 30% of patients with ALK-positive non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC), and in patients treated with ALK inhibitor, CNS progression occurs in up to 70% of patients. Patients with brain metastases from ALK-positive NSCLC have a distinct natural history compared with patients with wild-type NSCLC. This article describes the rapid flare of brain metastases in ALK-positive non-small cell lung cancer after stopping Crizotinib.