Clinicopathological Features in Elderly ALK-rearranged Non-small Cell Lung Cancer Patients

Abstract

Aim: To clarify the clinicopathological features in elderly anaplastic lymphoma kinase (ALK) rearranged non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) patients.

Patients and methods: A retrospective study was performed in 129 ALK rearranged NSCLC patients diagnosed between April 2008 and March 2019 in fifteen Institutions of the Ibaraki prefecture, Japan.

Results: Median age of patients was 63 years. In 59 patients aged 65 and older, the proportions of patients with advanced stage and those treated with ALK-tyrosine kinase inhibitor (TKI) were lower than those younger than 65 years. There was no difference in overall survival (OS) between the two age groups. Among the elderly patients, no difference was observed in OS between the patients aged 65-69 and those aged 70 and older. In 89 patients treated with TKI, no significant differences were observed in the progression-free survival of TKIs and OS between patients aged 65 and older and those younger than 65, respectively.

Conclusion: Evaluation of ALK gene status and TKI treatment are desirable even for elderly patients.

Keywords: ALK; Clinical practice; anaplastic lymphoma kinase fusion gene mutation; elderly; non-small cell lung cancer.