BACKGROUND: A subset of lung cancers harbours the fusion gene echinoderm microtubule-associated protein-like-4-anaplastic lymphoma kinase (EML4-ALK). Recently, immunohistochemistry for ALK has shown sensitivity for the detection of EML4-ALK-positive lung adenocarcinoma almost equal to that of the fluorescence in situ hybridisation (FISH) assay. AIMS: To study the clinicopathological features of EML4-ALK-positive lung adenocarcinoma in a large number of surgically resected samples using immunohistochemistry, in order to establish a useful screening method for EML4-ALK-positive lung adenocarcinoma. METHODS: Immunohistochemistry for ALK was used to screen for EML4-ALK-positive lung adenocarcinomas in 254 cases of surgically resected samples. RESULTS: EML4-ALK-positive cases were detected in 3.1% of lung adenocarcinomas (8/254). EML4-ALK-positive lung adenocarcinomas showed significant associations with intra- and/or extra-cytoplasmic mucin (p=0.0001), and cribriform pattern with excessive extracytoplasmic mucin (p<0.0001). Signet-ring cell appearance alone lacked significance (p=0.149). CONCLUSION: EML4-ALK-positive lung adenocarcinoma has a tendency to express a characteristic morphological pattern. The combined use of morphological feature analysis and immunohistochemistry may be a useful and cost effective screening method for EML4-ALK lung adenocarcinoma.
BACKGROUND: A subset of lung cancers harbours the fusion gene echinoderm microtubule-associated protein-like-4-anaplastic lymphoma kinase (EML4-ALK). Recently, immunohistochemistry for ALK has shown sensitivity for the detection of EML4-ALK-positive lung adenocarcinoma almost equal to that of the fluorescence in situ hybridisation (FISH) assay. AIMS: To study the clinicopathological features of EML4-ALK-positive lung adenocarcinoma in a large number of surgically resected samples using immunohistochemistry, in order to establish a useful screening method for EML4-ALK-positive lung adenocarcinoma. METHODS: Immunohistochemistry for ALK was used to screen for EML4-ALK-positive lung adenocarcinomas in 254 cases of surgically resected samples. RESULTS: EML4-ALK-positive cases were detected in 3.1% of lung adenocarcinomas (8/254). EML4-ALK-positive lung adenocarcinomas showed significant associations with intra- and/or extra-cytoplasmic mucin (p=0.0001), and cribriform pattern with excessive extracytoplasmic mucin (p<0.0001). Signet-ring cell appearance alone lacked significance (p=0.149). CONCLUSION: EML4-ALK-positive lung adenocarcinoma has a tendency to express a characteristic morphological pattern. The combined use of morphological feature analysis and immunohistochemistry may be a useful and cost effective screening method for EML4-ALK lung adenocarcinoma.
Authors: Kyuichi Kadota; Yi-Chen Yeh; Sandra P D'Angelo; Andre L Moreira; Deborah Kuk; Camelia S Sima; Gregory J Riely; Maria E Arcila; Mark G Kris; Valerie W Rusch; Prasad S Adusumilli; William D Travis Journal: Am J Surg Pathol Date: 2014-08 Impact factor: 6.394
Authors: Kyuichi Kadota; Camelia S Sima; Maria E Arcila; Cyrus Hedvat; Mark G Kris; David R Jones; Prasad S Adusumilli; William D Travis Journal: Am J Surg Pathol Date: 2016-12 Impact factor: 6.394
Authors: Olatunji B Alese; Bassel F El-Rayes; Gabriel Sica; Guojing Zhang; Dianne Alexis; Francisco G La Rosa; Marileila Varella-Garcia; Zhengjia Chen; Michael R Rossi; Nazim V Adsay; Fadlo R Khuri; Taofeek K Owonikoko Journal: Ther Adv Med Oncol Date: 2015-03 Impact factor: 8.168
Authors: Lester J Layfield; Sinchita Roy-Chowdhuri; Zubair Baloch; Hormoz Ehya; Kim Geisinger; Susan J Hsiao; Oscar Lin; Neal I Lindeman; Michael Roh; Fernando Schmitt; Nikoletta Sidiropoulos; Paul A VanderLaan Journal: Diagn Cytopathol Date: 2016-08-26 Impact factor: 1.582