title: Molecular determinations of EGFR and EML4-ALK on a single slide of NSCLC tissue.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs) and anti-anaplastic lymphoma kinase (ALK) agents are highly effective for the treatment of non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) patients harbouring specific alterations, and molecular characterisation of the tumour is needed even when limited tumour material is available.
  
  
  METHODS
  20 patients with a known epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) gene status were enrolled: 10 had mutated and 10 had wild type tumours. FISH analysis was performed on one cytological or histological sample to determine EML4-ALK status, after which the same cells scraped off each slide were used to evaluate the EGFR status.
  
  
  RESULTS
  In the 10 EGFR mutated patients, molecular analysis showed the same results as those obtained before the FISH test. One patient with an EGFR mutation also showed an EML4-ALK translocation, and both FISH-positive and FISH-negative cells maintained the EGFR mutation.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  EGFR mutation analysis can be performed on the same sample previously submitted to the EML4-ALK FISH procedure.
authors.affiliation: Biosciences Laboratory, Istituto Scientifico Romagnolo per lo Studio e la Cura dei Tumori (IRST-IRCCS), Meldola, FC, Italy. p.ulivi@irst.emr.it
authors.forename: Paola
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Ulivi
authors.forename: Maurizio
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Puccetti
authors.forename: Laura
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Capelli
authors.forename: Elisa
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Chiadini
authors.forename: Sara
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Bravaccini
authors.forename: Daniele
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Calistri
authors.forename: Wainer
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Zoli
authors.forename: Dino
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Amadori
authors.forename: Piero
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Candoli
mesh_terms: D002289:Carcinoma, Non-Small-Cell Lung / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D066246:ErbB Receptors / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D006801:Humans; D017404:In Situ Hybridization, Fluorescence; D008175:Lung Neoplasms / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D009154:Mutation; D015514:Oncogene Proteins, Fusion / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: C522504:EML4-ALK fusion protein, human; D015514:Oncogene Proteins, Fusion; C512478:EGFR protein, human; D066246:ErbB Receptors
keywords: EGFR; LUNG CANCER; MOLECULAR ONCOLOGY