title: Clinicopathological characteristics and survival of ALK, ROS1 and RET rearrangements in non-adenocarcinoma non-small cell lung cancer patients.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  ALK, ROS1 and RET rearrangements represent 3 most frequent fusion genes in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). Rearrangements of these 3 genes exist predominantly in lung adenocarcinoma while rarely in non-adenocarcinoma. Our objective was to explore the frequency, clinicopathological characteristics and survival of ALK, ROS1 and RET rearrangements in non-adenocarcinoma NSCLC patients.
  
  
  METHODS
  ALK, ROS1 and RET rearrangements were screened by reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) in patients with completely resected non-adenocarcinoma NSCLC. All positive samples were confirmed with fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH). Survival analysis was performed with Kaplan-Meier method and log-rank for comparison.
  
  
  RESULTS
  A total of 385 patients underwent complete resection, including squamous cell carcinoma (n = 245), adenosquamous carcinoma (n = 85) and large cell carcinoma (n = 55). Twelve of them were identified as harboring fusion genes, including ALK (n = 7), ROS1 (n = 3) and RET (n = 2) rearrangements. The fusion frequencies of adenosquamous, squamous cell and large cell carcinomas were 8.2%, 1.6% and 1.8% respectively. Their median age was 49.5 y and 3 of them had a smoking history. No survival difference existed between fusion gene positive and negative patients (36.7 vs.50.2 months, P = 0.21).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The frequencies of ALK, ROS1 and RET rearrangements are low in non-adenocarcinoma NSCLC patients. And their clinical characteristics are similar to those in lung adenocarcinoma. Fusions of the above 3 genes are not prognostic factor for non-adnocarcinoma NSCLC patients.
authors.affiliation: a Department of Medical Oncology , Zhejiang Cancer Hospital , Hangzhou , China.|b Key Laboratory Diagnosis & Treatment Technology of Thoracic Oncology , Zhejiang province , Hangzhou , China.
authors.forename: Zhengbo
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Song
authors.affiliation: a Department of Medical Oncology , Zhejiang Cancer Hospital , Hangzhou , China.|b Key Laboratory Diagnosis & Treatment Technology of Thoracic Oncology , Zhejiang province , Hangzhou , China.
authors.forename: Xinmin
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Yu
authors.affiliation: a Department of Medical Oncology , Zhejiang Cancer Hospital , Hangzhou , China.|b Key Laboratory Diagnosis & Treatment Technology of Thoracic Oncology , Zhejiang province , Hangzhou , China.
authors.forename: Yiping
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Zhang
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D002289:Carcinoma, Non-Small-Cell Lung / Q000235:genetics* / Q000401:mortality / Q000473:pathology; D005260:Female; D015321:Gene Rearrangement; D006801:Humans; D008175:Lung Neoplasms / Q000235:genetics* / Q000401:mortality / Q000473:pathology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011505:Protein-Tyrosine Kinases / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D011518:Proto-Oncogene Proteins / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D051096:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-ret / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D015996:Survival Rate
chemical_list: D011518:Proto-Oncogene Proteins; D011505:Protein-Tyrosine Kinases; D051096:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-ret; C099282:RET protein, human; C062333:ROS1 protein, human
keywords: ALK; RET; ROS1; frequency; fusion gene; non-small cell lung cancer; survival