Neoadjuvant alectinib in locally advanced lung adenocarcinoma with anaplastic lymphoma kinase rearrangement: case series and literature review

Abstract

In view of the success of targeted therapy in the field of advanced lung cancer, it is gradually pushed further to neoadjuvant therapy. Alectinib has been recommended for advanced anaplastic lymphoma kinase (ALK) + non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) in first-line therapy. Here, we report two cases of neoadjuvant alectinib in locally advanced lung adenocarcinoma with ALK rearrangement. Case 1 was a 64-year-old man with no history of smoking who was diagnosed with the clinical stage as IIIB, with ALK fusion-positive. Chest-enhanced computed tomography (CT) revealed marked regression and achieved partial response (PR) incorporated with grade 3 interstitial pneumonia after 44 days of alectinib neoadjuvant therapy. Interstitial pneumonia improved after methylprednisolone therapy, then thoracoscopic lobe resection with lymph node dissection was performed with blood loss. The pathological assessment was a pathologic complete response(pCR). Case 2 was a 66-year-old man who had a routine physical examination and then diagnosed with a clinical-stage IIIB by CT-guided percutaneous cutting needle biopsy (PCNB). Chemotherapy with 1 cycle of pemetrexed combined with nedaplatin was performed in the interval waiting for next-generation sequencing (NGS) results. NGS testing revealed an EML4-ALK fusion mutation. After 109 days of alectinib treatment, radiographic evaluation was classified as PR and then he underwent thoracoscopic upper lobectomy smoothly with pathological assessment as a major pathological response (MPR). To date, neoadjuvant alectinib has only been reported in a few cases in locally advanced lung adenocarcinoma with ALK-rearranged. Neoadjuvant alectinib may be feasible in locally advanced disease for complete resection. The duration and safety of neoadjuvant therapy with alectinib still need further study.