Detection of Circulating Tumor Cells Harboring a Unique <i>ALK</i> Rearrangement in <i>ALK</i>-Positive Non–Small-Cell Lung Cancer

Abstract

ALK rearrangement can be detected in CTCs of patients with ALK-positive NSCLC by using a filtration technique and FA-FISH, enabling both diagnostic testing and monitoring of crizotinib treatment. Our results suggest that CTCs harboring a unique ALK rearrangement and mesenchymal phenotype may arise from clonal selection of tumor cells that have acquired the potential to drive metastatic progression of ALK-positive NSCLC.