title: Response to alectinib after one year of discontinuation of crizotinib in anaplastic lymphoma kinase-positive non-small-cell lung cancer: A case report.
abstract: Therapy with crizotinib achieves prolonged progression-free and overall survival in non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) patients with echinoderm microtubule-associated protein-like 4 (EML4)-anaplastic lymphoma kinase (ALK). It was demonstrated that ALK-positive NSCLCs exhibit a high response rate to the ALK inhibitor, crizotinib. However, a proportion of the patients discontinue crizotinib treatment due to adverse events. This is the case report of a NSCLC patient with EML4-ALK rearrangement, who, following crizotinib discontinuation for one year due to adverse events, exhibited a marked response to alectinib. Even if the incidence is not high, clinicians should not overlook the most common crizotinib-related adverse events. Furthermore, certain patients may continue to benefit from alectinib following long-term discontinuation of crizotinib therapy.
authors.affiliation: Division of Respiratory Medicine, Mito Medical Center, University of Tsukuba, Mito, Ibaraki 310-0015, Japan ; Division of Respiratory Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of Tsukuba, Tsukuba, Ibaraki 305-8575, Japan.
authors.forename: Hiroko
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Watanabe
authors.affiliation: Division of Respiratory Medicine, Mito Medical Center, University of Tsukuba, Mito, Ibaraki 310-0015, Japan ; Division of Respiratory Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of Tsukuba, Tsukuba, Ibaraki 305-8575, Japan.
authors.forename: Tomohiro
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Tamura
authors.affiliation: Division of Respiratory Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of Tsukuba, Tsukuba, Ibaraki 305-8575, Japan.
authors.forename: Toshihiro
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Shiozawa
authors.affiliation: Division of Respiratory Medicine, Mito Medical Center, University of Tsukuba, Mito, Ibaraki 310-0015, Japan.
authors.forename: Gen
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Ohara
authors.affiliation: Division of Respiratory Medicine, Mito Medical Center, University of Tsukuba, Mito, Ibaraki 310-0015, Japan.
authors.forename: Katsunori
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Kagohashi
authors.affiliation: Division of Respiratory Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of Tsukuba, Tsukuba, Ibaraki 305-8575, Japan.
authors.forename: Mio
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Kawaguchi
authors.affiliation: Division of Respiratory Medicine, Mito Medical Center, University of Tsukuba, Mito, Ibaraki 310-0015, Japan.
authors.forename: Koichi
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Kurishima
authors.affiliation: Division of Respiratory Medicine, Mito Medical Center, University of Tsukuba, Mito, Ibaraki 310-0015, Japan.
authors.forename: Hiroaki
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Satoh
authors.affiliation: Division of Respiratory Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of Tsukuba, Tsukuba, Ibaraki 305-8575, Japan.
authors.forename: Nobuyuki
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Hizawa
keywords: adenocarcinoma; alectinib; anaplastic lymphoma kinase-positive non-small-cell lung cancer; crizotinib