ALK gene amplification is associated with poor prognosis in colorectal carcinoma

• Published in: British journal of cancer Vol. 109; no. 10; pp. 2735 - 2743
• Main Authors: BAVI, P, JEHAN, Z, AL-KURAYA, K. S, BU, R, PRABHAKARAN, S, AL-SANEA, N, AL-DAYEL, F, AL-ASSIRI, M, AL-HALOULY, T, SAIRAFI, R, UDDIN, S
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Basingstoke Nature Publishing Group 12.11.2013
• Subjects: Aged; Biological and medical sciences; Biomarkers, Tumor - genetics; Biomarkers, Tumor - metabolism; Cancer therapies; Chemotherapy; Cohort Studies; Colorectal cancer; Colorectal Neoplasms - diagnosis; Colorectal Neoplasms - genetics; Colorectal Neoplasms - mortality; Female; Gastroenterology. Liver. Pancreas. Abdomen; Gene Amplification; Gene Dosage; Gene Expression Regulation, Neoplastic; Genetics and Genomics; Humans; Immunohistochemistry; In Situ Hybridization, Fluorescence; Kinases; Lymphoma; Male; Medical prognosis; Medical research; Medical sciences; Middle Aged; Multiple tumors. Solid tumors. Tumors in childhood (general aspects); Mutation; Pathology; Prognosis; Receptor Protein-Tyrosine Kinases - genetics; Research centers; Stomach. Duodenum. Small intestine. Colon. Rectum. Anus; Surgery; Survival analysis; Tissue Array Analysis; Tumors; Saudi Arabia; Riyadh Saudi Arabia; Rectal disease; Prognosis; ALK gene amplification; ALK mutation; Colorectal carcinoma; Colorectal cancer; Malignant tumor; ALK expression; Survival; Colonic disease; Gene amplification; Association; Cancerology; C-Onc gene; Digestive diseases; Intestinal disease; Genetics; Mutation; Anaplastic lymphoma kinase; Protooncogene; Cancer
• ISSN: 0007-0920; 1532-1827
• DOI: 10.1038/bjc.2013.641

Recently, the anaplastic lymphoma kinase (ALK) has been found to be altered in several solid and haematological tumours. ALK gene copy number changes and mutations in colorectal cancers (CRCs) are not well characterised. We aimed to study the prevalence of ALK copy number changes, translocations, gene mutations and protein expression in 770 CRC patients, and correlate these findings with molecular and clinico-pathological data. ALK gene copy number variations and ALK expression were evaluated by fluorescence in situ hybridisation (FISH) and immunohistochemistry, respectively. Translocations of the ALK gene were not observed; 3.4% (26 out of 756) of the CRC patients tested had an increase in ALK gene copy number either amplification or gain. Interestingly, increased ALK gene copy number alteration was associated with poor prognosis (P=0.0135) and was an independent prognostic marker in multivariate Cox proportional hazards model. The study reveals a significant impact of ALK gene copy number alterations on the outcome of patients with CRC. The findings of our study highlight a potential role of targeting ALK in advanced CRCs by using ALK FISH and ALK IHC as a screening tool to detect ALK alterations. Based on these findings, a potential role of ALK inhibitor as a therapeutic agent in a subset of CRC merits further investigation.