WCLC 2016 | CNS Metastasis in ALK positive lung cancer

Frank Griesinger, MD, PhD from the Pius-Hospital Oldenburg, Oldenburg, Germany discusses the question of central nervous system (CNS) metastasis in patients with ALK positive tumors.
CNS metastasis is a big issue in when treating ALK-positive tumors. Approximately 30% of patients show CNS metastasis even before they are treated with an ALK inhibitors, but after first treatment with an ALK inhibitor, 60-70% show CNS metastasis. Dr Griesinger explains that having targeted drugs that effectively target the CNS metastases would allow to delay whole-brain irradiation, thus delaying the associated cognitive impairment experienced by patients.
Recorded at the 2016 World Congress of Lung Cancer (WCLC) of the International Association for the Study of Lung Cancer (IASLC) in Vienna, Austria.