Complete remission of intrathecal metastases with lorlatinib therapy in a heavily pretreated ALK-positive lung cancer patient

Patients with lung cancer who show EML4-ALK translocation are routinely treated with ALK tyrosine kinase inhibitors, although in the majority of cases, these patients develop resistance over time. The central nervous system is a common of site of recurrence in this population, which calls for next-generation drugs that can penetrate into the brain and achieve clinically meaningful central nervous system activity. Here, I report the case of a female patient diagnosed with adenocarcinoma of the lung in 2005, at the age of 46 years, who underwent lobectomy and then experienced a series of progression episodes 6 years later. Local recurrence was managed by chemotherapy and crizotinib after the patient was included in a named patient use programme in 2012. Over the following years, the patient repeatedly developed lesions at different sites in the brain and spinal cord. Partial remission was obtained twice with local irradiation. When the next-generation ALK tyrosine kinase inhibitors became available, her treatment was switched to brigatinib, which again induced partial remission. Another episode of intrathecal progression prompted the prescription of the third-generation ALK tyrosine kinase inhibitor lorlatinib. This treatment has resulted in complete remission in the patient. Copyright (C) 2017 Wolters Kluwer Health, Inc. All rights reserved.