Mechanistic insight into ALK receptor tyrosine kinase in human cancer biology

The burgeoning field of anaplastic lymphoma kinase (ALK) in cancer encompasses many cancer types, from very rare cancers to the more prevalent non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC). The common activation of ALK has led to the use of the ALK tyrosine kinase inhibitor (TKI) crizotinib in a range of patient populations and to the rapid development of second-generation drugs targeting ALK. In this Review, we discuss our current understanding of ALK function in human cancer and the implications for tumour treatment.