The potential role of HGF-MET signaling and autophagy in the war of Alectinib versus Crizotinib against ALK-positive NSCLC

Non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) is currently the leading cause of cancer-related death. Accumulating evidences suggest that overcoming the therapeutic resistance in NSCLC is a big challenge. Recently, the outcomes of two independent phase 3 trials regarding Alectinib versus Crizotinib in ALK-positive NSCLC are encouraging. However, given the potential relevance of HGF-MET signaling and especially autophagy to the war against ALK-positive NSCLC between Alectinib and Crizotinib, it's too early to reach a convincing conclusion. Therefore, to further improve the therapeutic efficacy of ALK-positive NSCLC, this commentary highlights the negligence in design of relevant clinical trials, emphasizes the importance of molecular characteristics investigation, and discusses the prospect of combination therapy.