Comparison of IHC, FISH and RT-PCR Methods for Detection of ALK Rearrangements in 312 Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer Patients in Taiwan

Abstract

Among the three detection methods, RT-PCR could detect not only the presence of EML4-ALK fusion gene and their variant types, but also the abundance of EML4-ALK positive cells in NSCLC tumor tissues. The latter two factors might affect the treatment response to anti-ALK inhibitor. Including RT-PCR as a diagnostic test for ALK inhibitor treatment in the prospective clinical trials is recommended.