Clinical outcomes in ALK-rearranged lung adenocarcinomas according to ALK fusion variants

BACKGROUND: Clinical outcomes of anaplastic lymphoma kinase (ALK)-rearranged non-small cell lung cancer according to ALK fusion variants are not clear. We aimed to investigate the prevalence of ALK fusion variants and to compare clinical outcomes according to ALK fusion variants. METHODS: A retrospective analysis was conducted on patients with advanced ALK-rearranged adenocarcinoma treated with chemotherapy and ALK inhibitors. ALK rearrangement was identified by fluorescence in situ hybridization and confirmed by immunohistochemistry. Peptide nucleic acid-mediated quantitative polymerase chain reaction assays, designed to detect 28 types of echinoderm microtubule-associated protein-like 4 (EML)-ALK rearrangements, were performed. Clinicopathological analysis and treatment outcomes with platinum-based chemotherapy, pemetrexed therapy, and ALK inhibitors—including crizotinib and ceritinib—were evaluated. RESULTS: A total of 52 patients with ALK-rearranged lung adenocarcinoma were enrolled. EML4-ALK variant 1 (v1) was the most common variant (38.5 %) followed by the non-EML4 variant (36.5 %), EML4-ALK variant 3a/b (19.2 %), and EML4-ALK variant 2 (5.8 %). No clinicopathological distinction was found between the different ALK fusion variants. Treatment response rates for each therapeutic agent did not differ according to ALK fusion variant. However, EML4 variants, especially v1, showed significantly longer progression-free survival (PFS) on pemetrexed treatment than did non-EML4 variants (median 31.1 months versus 5.7 months, P = 0.003). PFS with platinum-based chemotherapy and ALK inhibitors did not differ according to ALK fusion variant. Multivariate survival analysis using Cox’s regression model revealed v1 as the only predictive factor for prolonged PFS on pemetrexed. CONCLUSIONS: Among ALK fusion variants, v1 is the most common subtype. It showed superior progression-free survival on pemetrexed than did non-EML4 variants. No survival difference was demonstrated between variants treated with crizotinib or ceritinib. ELECTRONIC SUPPLEMENTARY MATERIAL: The online version of this article (doi:10.1186/s12967-016-1061-z) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.