title: High prevalence of ALK+/ROS1+ cases in pulmonary adenocarcinoma of adoloscents and young adults.
abstract: To investigate prevalence and age-distribution of ALK- or ROS1-translocated adenocarcinomas in patients ≤50 years of age.
  
  
  
  Paraffin sections of pulmonary adenocarcinoma were analyzed for ALK (637 cases) and ROS1 (376 cases) translocations using FISH, and for EGFR mutations (789 cases) using mutant-specific Real-Time PCR.
  
  
  
  ALK or ROS1 fusions were detected in 55 of 637 cases (8.6%). When patients were stratified for age, it was found that six of six cases (100%) of lung adenocarcinoma diagnosed in patients <30 years of age were translocated for ALK (4 cases) or ROS1 (2 cases). With the increase of age, there was a gradual decrease in the percentage of positive cases. In fact, ALK-translocated or ROS1-translocated cases were 5 of 17 cases (29%) in the 31-40 years age-group, 6 of 46 cases (13%) in the 41-50 years age-group, and 38 of 568 cases (7.0%) in patients older than 50 years. The six patients <30 years of age (5F/1M), including two pediatric patients (≤18 years old), presented with stage IV disease, were never or light smoker, and had no family history of pulmonary tumours. Four of the six patients, were treated with crizotinib and had an objective response.
  
  
  
  Our findings provide evidence that ALK or ROS1 translocations are crucial events in tumourigenesis of pulmonary adenocarcinoma of very young patients, including pediatric patients.
authors.affiliation: Pathology Unit, Department of Clinical and Molecular Medicine, Sant'Andrea Hospital, "Sapienza" University, Rome, Italy.
authors.forename: Stefania
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Scarpino
authors.affiliation: Pathology Unit, Department of Clinical and Molecular Medicine, Sant'Andrea Hospital, "Sapienza" University, Rome, Italy.
authors.forename: Gian Luca
authors.initials: GL
authors.lastname: Rampioni Vinciguerra
authors.affiliation: Pathology Unit, Department of Clinical and Molecular Medicine, Sant'Andrea Hospital, "Sapienza" University, Rome, Italy.
authors.forename: Arianna
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Di Napoli
authors.affiliation: Pathology Unit, Department of Clinical and Molecular Medicine, Sant'Andrea Hospital, "Sapienza" University, Rome, Italy.
authors.forename: Flavio
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Fochetti
authors.affiliation: Pathology Unit, Department of Clinical and Molecular Medicine, Sant'Andrea Hospital, "Sapienza" University, Rome, Italy.
authors.forename: Stefania
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Uccini
authors.affiliation: Oncology Unit, Department of Clinical and Molecular Medicine, Sant'Andrea Hospital, "Sapienza" University, Rome, Italy.
authors.forename: Daniela
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Iacono
authors.affiliation: Oncology Unit, Department of Clinical and Molecular Medicine, Sant'Andrea Hospital, "Sapienza" University, Rome, Italy.
authors.forename: Paolo
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Marchetti
authors.affiliation: Pathology Unit, Department of Clinical and Molecular Medicine, Sant'Andrea Hospital, "Sapienza" University, Rome, Italy. Electronic address: luigi.ruco@uniroma1.it.
authors.forename: Luigi
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Ruco
mesh_terms: D000230:Adenocarcinoma / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D000077192:Adenocarcinoma of Lung; D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000077548:Anaplastic Lymphoma Kinase; D000077547:Crizotinib; D066246:ErbB Receptors / Q000235:genetics; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007558:Italy / Q000453:epidemiology; D008175:Lung Neoplasms / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009154:Mutation; D015995:Prevalence; D047428:Protein Kinase Inhibitors / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000627:therapeutic use; D011505:Protein-Tyrosine Kinases / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D011518:Proto-Oncogene Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D011720:Pyrazoles / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000627:therapeutic use; D011725:Pyridines / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000627:therapeutic use; D020794:Receptor Protein-Tyrosine Kinases / Q000378:metabolism*; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D014178:Translocation, Genetic
chemical_list: D047428:Protein Kinase Inhibitors; D011518:Proto-Oncogene Proteins; D011720:Pyrazoles; D011725:Pyridines; D000077547:Crizotinib; C000626173:ALK protein, human; D000077548:Anaplastic Lymphoma Kinase; D066246:ErbB Receptors; D011505:Protein-Tyrosine Kinases; C062333:ROS1 protein, human; D020794:Receptor Protein-Tyrosine Kinases
keywords: ALK; Adenocarcinoma; Lung; Pediatric patients; Pulmonary; ROS1