Rapid regression of neurological symptoms in patients with metastasised ALK+ lung cancer who are treated with lorlatinib: a report of two cases

Oral anaplastic lymphoma kinase (ALK) tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKI) have shown significant benefit in the management of ALK-rearranged non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). However, almost all patients will experience disease progression after front-line ALK-TKIs such as crizotinib. Treatment with...

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Detalles Bibliográficos
Autores principales: Gafer, Huda, de Waard, Quincy, Compter, Annette, van den Heuvel, Michel
Formato: Online Artículo Texto
Lenguaje:English
Publicado: BMJ Publishing Group 2019
Materias:
Acceso en línea:https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6663151/
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/31345828
http://dx.doi.org/10.1136/bcr-2018-227299
Descripción
Sumario:Oral anaplastic lymphoma kinase (ALK) tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKI) have shown significant benefit in the management of ALK-rearranged non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). However, almost all patients will experience disease progression after front-line ALK-TKIs such as crizotinib. Treatment with third generation ALK-TKI lorlatinib can have a significant clinical impact following disease progression, even in patients with a very poor performance status. Here, we review two clinical cases with metastatic ALK-rearranged NSCLC who had pulmonary disease control with first-generation ALK inhibitor. However, disease progressed rapidly in the central nervous system with severe neurological symptoms. Treatment with lorlatinib, a third-generation ALK-TKI, led to a rapid radiological and clinical cerebral response in both patients. Lorlatinib can overcome ALK resistance to crizotinib, and the presented cases suggest a potential role for lorlatinib in patients with rapidly progressive cerebral and leptomeningeal metastases.