Learn about your advanced ROS1+ or ALK+ non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) diagnosis and ways to navigate care plan discussions
Finding balance in
ALK+ NSCLC
Genomic changes in ROS1 and ALK (sometimes called fusions or alterations) are found in some people with NSCLC. They occur when parts of one gene fuse with another, creating abnormal signals that cause cells to grow out of control and form cancer.1-3 These changes are usually found when the cancer is already advanced—either stage 3 (locally advanced) or stage 4 (metastatic).4,5
Seen in people with no history of smoking6
Not inherited or passed down7
Identifying these genomic changes matters—because treatments can differ6
These genomic changes are often found when cancer has spread beyond the lungs—to nearby lymph nodes, the brain, or other parts of the body.1,4,5,8
Biomarker testing identifies genomic changes, the clues in your body that help guide diagnosis and treatment decisions. Biomarker testing uses tissue or blood samples to look for these changes and may help identify treatments that target your type of cancer. Ask your doctor how biomarker testing could help guide your care.7,8
ALK+=anaplastic lymphoma kinase-positive; ROS1+=ROS proto-oncogene 1–positive.
References: 1. Chang X, Liu Z, Man S, et al. Metastasis manners and the underlying mechanisms of ALK and ROS1 rearrangement lung cancer and current possible therapeutic strategies. RSC Adv. 2019;9(31):17921-17932. 2. Garg P, Singhal S, Kulkarni P, et al. Advances in non-small cell lung cancer: Current insights and future directions. J Clin Med. 2024;13(14):4189. 3. National Cancer Institute. Definition of fusion gene. NCI Dictionary of Cancer Terms. Accessed August 18, 2025. https://www.cancer.gov/publications/dictionaries/cancer-terms/def/fusion-gene 4. Parikh DA, Walia G, Freeman-Daily J, et al. Characteristics of patients with ROS1+ cancers: Results from the first patient-designed, global, pan-cancer ROS1 data repository. JCO Oncol Pract. 2019;16(2):e183-e189. 5. Peters S, Camidge DR, Shaw AT, et al. Alectinib versus crizotinib in untreated ALK-positive non-small-cell lung cancer. N Engl J Med. 2017;377(9):829-838. 6. Lindeman NI, Cagle PT, Aisner DL, et al. Updated molecular testing guideline for the selection of lung cancer patients for treatment with targeted tyrosine kinase inhibitors: Guideline from the College of American Pathologists, the International Association for the Study of Lung Cancer, and the Association for Molecular Pathology. J Thorac Oncol. 2018;13(3):323-358. 7. National Cancer Institute. Biomarker testing for cancer treatment. Updated December 14, 2021. Accessed July 30, 2025. https://www.cancer.gov/about-cancer/treatment/types/biomarker-testing-cancer-treatment. 8. National Cancer Institute. Non-small cell lung cancer treatment (PDQ®)–patient version. Updated May 16, 2025. Accessed July 30, 2025. https://www.cancer.gov/types/lung/patient/non-small-cell-lung-treatment-pdq. 9. Pan K, Concannon K, Li J, Zhang J, Heymach JV, Le X. Emerging therapeutics and evolving assessment criteria for intracranial metastases in patients with oncogene-driven non-small-cell lung cancer. Nat Rev Clin Oncol. 2023;20(10):716-732.
