title: Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer in a Very Young Woman: A Case Report and Critical Review of the Literature.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Lung cancer in young patients is quite uncommon; clinical presentation and outcome in this population compared to the older group are not yet well defined and data about this setting are mostly single-institutional retrospective analyses.
  
  
  METHODS
  We report here a case of a very young woman with diagnosis of early-stage lung adenocarcinoma harboring EML4-ALK rearrangement; she underwent radical surgery and adjuvant chemotherapy according to the pathologic stage. Potential risk factors for lung cancer in our patient are discussed and clinico-pathologic features and outcomes of lung cancer in the young population compared to the elderly are reviewed through discussing studies with sample sizes larger than 100 patients.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  A wide clinical overview should be performed when lung cancer is diagnosed in a young patient. Large-population studies are required to define the molecular signature and clinical behavior of lung cancer in young patients.
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgery, Oncology and Gastroenterology, University of Padova, Padova, Italy.
authors.forename: Valentina
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Polo
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgery, Oncology and Gastroenterology, University of Padova, Padova, Italy.
authors.forename: Giulia
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Zago
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgery, Oncology and Gastroenterology, University of Padova, Padova, Italy.
authors.forename: Stefano
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Frega
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgery, Oncology and Gastroenterology, University of Padova, Padova, Italy.
authors.forename: Fabio
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Canova
authors.affiliation: Division of Medical Oncology 2, Istituto Oncologico Veneto IRCCS, Padova, Italy.
authors.forename: Laura
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Bonanno
authors.affiliation: Division of Medical Oncology 2, Istituto Oncologico Veneto IRCCS, Padova, Italy.
authors.forename: Adolfo
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Favaretto
authors.affiliation: Immunology and Molecular Oncology Unit, Istituto Oncologico Veneto IRCCS, Padova, Italy.
authors.forename: Laura
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Bonaldi
authors.affiliation: Immunology and Molecular Oncology Unit, Istituto Oncologico Veneto IRCCS, Padova, Italy.
authors.forename: Roberta
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Bertorelle
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgery, Oncology and Gastroenterology, University of Padova, Padova, Italy.
authors.forename: PierFranco
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Conte
authors.affiliation: Division of Medical Oncology 2, Istituto Oncologico Veneto IRCCS, Padova, Italy.
authors.forename: Giulia
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Pasello
mesh_terms: D002289:Carcinoma, Non-Small-Cell Lung / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000235:genetics / Q000601:surgery; D004273:DNA, Neoplasm / Q000032:analysis; D005260:Female; D015321:Gene Rearrangement; D005820:Genetic Testing; D006801:Humans; D008175:Lung Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000235:genetics / Q000601:surgery; D015514:Oncogene Proteins, Fusion / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D011013:Pneumonectomy; D020775:Thoracic Surgery, Video-Assisted; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D004273:DNA, Neoplasm; C522504:EML4-ALK fusion protein, human; D015514:Oncogene Proteins, Fusion