Anaplastic Lymphoma Kinase Gene Analysis as a Useful Tool for Identifying Primary Unknown Metastatic Lung Adenocarcinoma

作者：Watanabe Naoki^*; Ishii Tomoya; Takahama Takayuki; Tadokoro Akira; Kanaji Nobuhiro; Dobashi Hiroaki; Bandoh Shuji

来源：Internal Medicine, 2014, 53(23): 2711-2715.

DOI：10.2169/internalmedicine.53.2775

• cancer of unknown primary site (CUP)
• mediastinal type lung cancer
• ALK gene analysis
• adenocarcinoma

A 55-year-old woman was admitted for an evaluation of a mediastinal mass, bilateral cervical lymphadenopathy and a left breast tumor. Although pathology revealed a diagnosis of breast cancer, the cervical lymph nodes differed from the breast lesion. An anaplastic lymphoma kinase (ALK) gene analysis revealed ALK rearrangement in the cervical lymph nodes only, which were therefore diagnosed as reflective of metastasis of lung adenocarcinoma. The mediastinal tumor was also diagnosed as an ALK-positive lung adenocarcinoma based on its therapeutic response. ALK gene analyses can be used to identify primary lesions in patients with cancers of unknown primary sites.

• 出版日期2014