Discordant tumor response in the treatment of ALK-rearranged non-small cell lung cancer leads to the diagnosis of synchronous multiple primary lung cancer

Benny Johnson, Maged Khalil

Department of General Internal Medicine, Geisinger Medical Center, Geisinger Health System, Danville, USA.
Department of Hematology-Oncology, Geisinger Medical Center, Geisinger Health System, Danville, USA.

DOI: 10.4236/crcm.2013.21005                

Abstract

The advent of targeted molecular therapy against the EML4-ALK fusion gene is the latest therapeutic intervention for a subset of patients with non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). Crizotinib (Xalkori) is an orally available small molecule tyrosine kinase inhibitor proven in clinical trials to significantly impact progression free survival and overall response rate. We present a case of a 56-year-old male with NSCLC whose lack of a positive treatment response to this therapy led to the clinical suspicion and identification of the underdiagnosed entity known as synchronous multiple primary lung cancer (SMPLC).

Keywords

Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer; Crizotinib; Synchronous Multiple Primary Lung Cancer; EML4-ALK Fusion Gene

Conflicts of Interest

The authors declare no conflicts of interest.

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