Clinical Challenge of Two Competing Targetable Mutations in Non-Small-Cell Lung Cancer: A Case Report

Abstract

The development of therapeutic agents targeting products of epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) gene mutation and anaplastic lymphoma kinase (ALK) rearrangements has improved survival in patients with non-small-cell lung cancer. EGFR and ALK mutations are generally regarded as mutually exclusive, and the presence of one in lieu of another influences the response to targeted therapy. We herein present an interesting case following the course of progression of a patient with synchronous lung cancers with a discordant mutation profile. The importance of this modality in the follow-up of lung cancer patients is illustrated, and the therapeutic implications of coexisting oncogenic drivers are briefly discussed.