Publications by authors named "A Bearz"

Since the discovery of the first-generation ALK inhibitor, many other tyrosine kinase inhibitors have been demonstrated to be effective in the first line or further lines of treatment in patients with advanced non-small cell lung cancer with EMLA4-ALK translocation. This review traces the main milestones in the treatment of ALK-positive metastatic patients and the survival outcomes in the first-line and second-line settings with different ALK inhibitors. It presents the two options available for first-line treatment at the present time: sequencing different ALK inhibitors versus using the most potent inhibitor in front-line treatment.

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Although rare in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), BRAF mutations present considerable therapeutic challenges. While the use of BRAF and MEK inhibitor combinations has significantly improved survival outcomes in patients with BRAF V600E mutations, no targeted therapies are currently available for class II and III mutations, leaving the optimal treatment strategy and prognosis for these patients uncertain. Additionally, despite immunotherapy typically showing limited benefit in patients with other activating genomic alterations, it appears to deliver comparable efficacy in BRAF-mutated NSCLC, emerging as a potentially viable treatment option, particularly in patients with a history of smoking.

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Article Synopsis
  • Lorlatinib is a third-generation drug that effectively targets ALK and ROS1 tyrosine kinases in patients with advanced ALK-positive non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), showing promising long-term survival rates.
  • The study involved 367 adults with varying treatment backgrounds who took lorlatinib daily and assessed response rates, overall survival (OS), and safety.
  • Results indicated that patients had substantial improvements in OS across different treatment groups, with noted adverse events leading to dose adjustments in some cases, but the drug's safety profile remained generally stable over five years of follow-up.
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