My lung cancer is ALK positive – what does that mean?
Most people find out they are ALK positive in the setting of their cancer having already spread far enough such that surgery or radiation therapy are unlikely to be the initial approaches (distant disease). At this stage, knowing you are ALK positive opens up a range of pill options which would be very effective in most people and, although not a cure, can control the disease in most people for several years.
New treatments in advanced non-small cell lung cancer 2022
In recent years, we have learned more about the genetic changes that occur in lung cancer cells (known as somatic genetic alterations). Testing for these genetic alterations is now recommended for all patients with newly diagnosed non-small cell lung cancer. Excitingly, more and more of these genetic alterations can now be treated with targeted treatments.