How often should ALK patients receive scans to determine if their disease has progressed in various parts of the body?

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The doctors discuss how patients can navigate the tricky waters of stopping therapy while avoiding painful and sometimes life-threatening flare.

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ALK positive lung cancer typically shows up in people who do not appear to be at high risk for the disease, so is this something that a lung cancer patient can pass on to his or her children? The doctors discuss what research shows on this issue.

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Who should be tested for ALK? How is ALK tested and how reliable are the results? In this video, the doctors discuss several issues surrounding the issue of testing for ALK, including what the medical guidelines suggest for testing lung cancer patients for genetic mutations.

Xalkori (crizotinib) was one of the fastest approved drugs in cancer treatment history because of its high efficacy levels in ALK positive lung cancer patients. In this video, the doctors discuss what took place as it raced to approval, as well as the limitations and side effects of the drug.

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The last portion of Dr. Leighl's program on "Highlights of Lung Cancer from 2012" covered maintenance therapy, specifically focusing on the latest report of results from the PARAMOUNT trial, which demonstrated a significant survival benefit for maintenance Alimta (pemetrexed) continued after four cycles of the first line combination of cisplatin and Alimta.

Dr. Oxnard from Dana Farber Cancer Institute provides his insight on which patients with advanced non-small cell lung cancer he pursues molecular testing for, and which molecular markers are the highest priority.

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There is nothing more disheartening to the patient, and quite frankly for the treating oncologist, than have to hear (or say) the words “I’m afraid the treatment isn’t working”. The scientific term is “disease progression”, but the reality is that the cancer is growing despite the treatment and it doesn’t take an expert to know that isn’t good news.

Erbitux (cetuximab) is a monoclonal antibody to EGFR, and it's actually made from a protein that is part mouse and part human (called a chimeric protein, named for the mythologic creature chimera that was composed of multiple parts from different animals). It's uncommon but not rare for patients to have an allergic reaction to this protein, and in most large national and international studies show rates of hypersensitivity reactions (HSRs) in the 1-3% range.