Elevate Lung Cancer Care - ALK+
☰

Navigating life
with advanced ALK+ non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC)

Hero image
Hero image

Stay informed with ALK+ NSCLC resources


Register now register arrow

Goals of treatment

  • It’s important to think about your treatment goals and talk them through with your doctor. Together, you can make an informed decision about the right course of action for you. Your goals are personal—and your treatment plan should be, too.1
  • They may vary based on several factors, including: 
  • age Your age2
  • care for children Whether you’re working or caring for children3,4 
  • Milestone Milestones in your care and your life3,5
  • Milestone If your cancer has spread6
  • Milestone What treatments you’ve tried before3,7
  • Work with your doctor to find an option that considers both your medical needs and your day-to-day priorities.

Treatment considerations for ALK+ NSCLC

With more treatment options available than ever, talk with your doctor about which is best for you.7-9
What to ask your care team about ALK+ NSCLC treatment
  • Question mark
  • Will this treatment help shrink my cancer and keep it from growing?8,10 
  • • Will this treatment work against cancer that has spread to my brain?8,10
  • • Will it keep working for me even if my cancer develops new genomic changes (also known as resistance mutations) that can cause some treatments to stop working?11
  • Question mark
  • Will I be able to stay on this treatment without it getting in the way of my daily life?9,10
  • • Is this treatment designed to stop the ALK fusions causing my cancer without affecting the parts of my body that keep me well?
  • • Will the side effects be manageable enough for me to stay on the treatment while keeping up with my normal routine—without major changes to my daily life?

Make the most out of your doctor's visit


Get the guide register arrow

If your current ALK+ NSCLC treatment stops working, you may have options

  • Targeted therapies don’t all work the same.8,9,11 
  • • Some may stop working or cause disruptive side effects
  • • If your cancer changes, your treatment may need to change too
  • The goal is to stay on a treatment that continues to help over time. Communicating with your care team is important. 
Don’t hesitate to speak up. Your care team is there to help.
Michael, living with ALK+ NSCLC, and his daughter
Michael, living with ALK+ NSCLC, and his daughter

Work with your care team to manage side effects

  • Living with ALK+ NSCLC can be challenging—physically, emotionally, and in daily life.3,5,12 
  • Side effects can be mild or more disruptive and may affect your daily life. Tell your doctor how you’re feeling so you can manage them together.
  • Through conversations with your doctor, you can: 
  • • Work to find a plan that fits your lifestyle
  • • Address your treatment goals and priorities
Educate yourself as much as possible, learn about the disease, and be a visible and vocal advocate for yourself. —Kirk, lives with ALK+ NSCLC
Kirk

Stay connected for future tips on living well with ALK+ NSCLC


Register now register arrow

It’s okay to ask for a second opinion

The right treatment starts with asking key questions—so it’s okay to seek another opinion, speak up, and look for a plan that fits your life and goals.1
It’s your health so you should feel no guilt about getting second opinions. —Brandi, lives with ALK+ NSCLC
Brandi
Matt, living with ALK+ NSCLC, and his son
Matt, living with ALK+ NSCLC, and his son

Advocating for yourself is one of the most powerful things you can do

Start the conversation—your care team is there to answer all your questions.
  • Speaker icon
  • What to ask about treatment10
  • • What should I expect from treatment?
  • • Is there therapy designed for my specific cancer?
  • • What side effects might impact my daily life?
  • • Is there a clinical trial that may be right for me?
  • Speaker icon
  • What to ask to stay informed
  • • How might my cancer change over time?13
  • • Do the potential treatment benefits outweigh the side effects?
  • • Can I get a second opinion from a doctor who has treated ALK+ NSCLC?1,14
  • Speaker icon
  • What to ask about next steps1,10,11,13
  • • What should I know about diagnosis and progression?
  • • How do resistance mutations affect my treatment options?
  • • What are common treatment challenges I might face?

Find strength through support

Below you'll find online support for ALK+ NSCLC from patient advocacy organizations
Peer-to-peer support tailored to people living with ALK+ NSCLC, plus educational tools and events.
 Visit site arrow
  • Lungevity
  • Find survivorship resources, caregiver support, and tools for living with lung cancer.
    Visit site arrow
  • GO2 Foundation
  • Access a support helpline, treatment center directory, and trusted education.
    Visit site arrow
  • LCFA
  • Learn more about lung cancer research and efforts to improve patient outcomes.
    Visit site arrow
  • LCRF
  • Support and education focused on research and patient empowerment.
    Visit site arrow

Downloadable resources for ALK+ NSCLC

Discussion Guide
Survivorship Guide
Doctor Discussion Guide
Get the guide download
Survivorship Guide
Get the guide download

Downloadable resources for ALK+ NSCLC

Discussion Guide
Doctor Discussion Guide
Get the guide download
Survivorship Guide
Survivorship Guide
Get the guide download

ALK+=anaplastic lymphoma kinase–positive; ROS1+=ROS proto-oncogene 1–positive.

References: 1. National Cancer Institute. Non-small cell lung cancer treatment (PDQ®)–patient version. Updated May 16, 2025. Accessed August 25, 2025. https://www.cancer.gov/types/lung/patient/non-small-cell-lung-treatment-pdq. 2. National Cancer Institute. Age and cancer risk. Updated May 2, 2025. Accessed August 25, 2025. https://www.cancer.gov/about-cancer/causes-prevention/risk/age. 3. Danes CG, et al. Drivers of treatment choice in ALK-positive metastatic non-small cell lung cancer from patients' and caregivers' perspectives. Poster presented at: 2024 World Conference on Lung Cancer; September 2024; San Diego, CA. 4. Moore CW, Rauch PK, Baer L, Pirl WF, Muriel AC. Parenting changes in adults with cancer. Cancer. 2015;121(19):3551-3557. 5. 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. 6. Spitaleri G, Trillo Aliaga P, Attili I, et al. Sustained improvement in the management of patients with non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) harboring ALK translocation: Where are we running?. Curr Oncol. 2023;30(5):5072-5092. 7. 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. 8. Boulanger MC, Schneider JL, Lin JJ. Advances and future directions in ROS1 fusion-positive lung cancer. Oncologist. 2024;29(11):943-956. 9. Hines JB, Bowar B, Levine E, Esposito A, Garassino MC, Bestvina CM. Targeted toxicities: Protocols for monitoring the adverse events of targeted therapies used in the treatment of non-small cell lung cancer. Int J Mol Sci. 2023;24(11):9429. 10. National Cancer Institute. Questions to ask your doctor about treatment. Updated February 22, 2023. Accessed July 30, 2025. https://www.cancer.gov/about-cancer/treatment/questions. 11. National Cancer Institute. Why do cancer treatments stop working? Overcoming treatment resistance. Updated December 21, 2016. Accessed August 25, 2025. https://www.cancer.gov/about-cancer/treatment/research/drug-combo-resistance. 12. Liao D, Zhang J, Yan T, et al. Recent advances in the management of adverse events associated with lorlatinib. Onco Targets Ther. 2023;16:731-738. 13. National Cancer Institute. Understanding cancer prognosis. Reviewed May 29, 2024. Accessed July 30, 2025. https://www.cancer.gov/about-cancer/diagnosis-staging/prognosis. 14. Popat S, Navani N, Kerr KM, et al. Navigating diagnostic and treatment decisions in non-small cell lung cancer: Expert commentary on the multidisciplinary team approach. Oncologist. 2021;26(2):e306-e315.