Malignant pleural mesothelioma with an EML4-ALK fusion: Expect the unexpected!

Fleur Cordier; Joni Van der Meulen; Nadine van Roy; Jilke De Wilde; Herwig van Dijck; Filip Vanhoenacker; Marc Lambrechts; Valentin Noyez; Koen Van de Vijver; Liesbeth Ferdinande; Amélie Dendooven; Jo Van Dorpe; David Creytens

doi:10.1016/j.prp.2022.153772

Malignant pleural mesothelioma with an EML4-ALK fusion: Expect the unexpected!

Pathol Res Pract. 2022 Mar:231:153772. doi: 10.1016/j.prp.2022.153772. Epub 2022 Jan 19.

Authors

Affiliations

¹ Department of Pathology, Ghent University Hospital, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium.
² Molecular Diagnostics Ghent University Hospital (MDG), Ghent University Hospital, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium; CRIG, Cancer Research Institute Ghent, Ghent University Hospital, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium; Centre for Medical Genetics, Ghent University Hospital, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium.
³ CRIG, Cancer Research Institute Ghent, Ghent University Hospital, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium; Centre for Medical Genetics, Ghent University Hospital, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium; Department of Biomolecular Medicine, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium.
⁴ Department of Pathology, Ghent University Hospital, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium; CRIG, Cancer Research Institute Ghent, Ghent University Hospital, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium; Department of Biomolecular Medicine, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium.
⁵ Department of Pathology, AZ St. Maarten, Mechelen, Belgium.
⁶ Department of Radiology, General Hospital Sint-Maarten Mechelen, Antwerp University Hospital, Antwerp University, Antwerp and Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium.
⁷ Department of Pneumology, General Hospital Sint-Maarten Mechelen, Antwerp University Hospital, Antwerp University, Belgium.
⁸ Department of Thoracic and Vascular Surgery, AZ Sint-Maarten Hospital, Mechelen, Belgium.
⁹ Department of Pathology, Ghent University Hospital, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium; CRIG, Cancer Research Institute Ghent, Ghent University Hospital, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium; Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Antwerp University, Wilrijk, Belgium.
¹⁰ Department of Pathology, Ghent University Hospital, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium; CRIG, Cancer Research Institute Ghent, Ghent University Hospital, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium.
¹¹ Department of Pathology, Ghent University Hospital, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium; CRIG, Cancer Research Institute Ghent, Ghent University Hospital, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium. Electronic address: david.creytens@uzgent.be.

PMID: 35074700
DOI: 10.1016/j.prp.2022.153772

Abstract

Case report of malignant pleural mesothelioma with an ALK gene rearrangement, detected by FISH and confirmed by RNA-based next-generation sequencing. The co-occurrence of ALK gene fusions with the more common genetic alterations in CDKN2A, NF2 and BAP1 has, to our best knowledge, not yet been described in malignant mesothelioma. Furthermore, this unexpected finding could suggest a potential target for therapy in this subset of malignant mesotheliomas.

Keywords: ALK fusion; Copy-number variation sequencing; Immunohistochemistry; Molecular techniques; Next-generation sequencing; Pleural mesothelioma.

Publication types

Case Reports

MeSH terms

Aged
Anaplastic Lymphoma Kinase / genetics*
Cell Cycle Proteins / genetics*
Dyspnea / etiology
Humans
Immunohistochemistry / methods
Immunohistochemistry / statistics & numerical data
Male
Mesothelioma, Malignant / genetics*
Mesothelioma, Malignant / physiopathology
Microtubule-Associated Proteins / genetics*
Serine Endopeptidases / genetics*
Transcriptome / genetics

Substances

Cell Cycle Proteins
Microtubule-Associated Proteins
ALK protein, human
Anaplastic Lymphoma Kinase
EML4 protein, human
Serine Endopeptidases