ALK
Medical abbreviation · Hematology and Oncology
| Stands for | Anaplastic lymphoma kinase |
|---|---|
| Categories | Medical |
ALK stands for Anaplastic lymphoma kinase, a hematology and oncology abbreviation.
Tyrosine kinase gene whose rearrangements drive about 3 to 5 percent of non-small cell lung cancers, typically adenocarcinomas in younger people who never smoked. ALK-positive lung cancer responds dramatically to ALK inhibitors.
Example: ALK rearrangement on FISH; starting lorlatinib with excellent CNS penetration.
Usage notes
The gene was named after its discovery in 1994 in anaplastic large cell lymphoma, and the EML4-ALK fusion in lung cancer was reported in 2007. Crizotinib was approved in 2011, followed by alectinib, brigatinib and lorlatinib, which penetrate the brain better; many patients live for years with metastatic disease. ALK testing uses immunohistochemistry, FISH or next-generation sequencing.
Related abbreviations
More hematology and oncology abbreviations
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- ADC – Antibody-drug conjugate
- AFP – Alpha-fetoprotein
- AIHA – Autoimmune hemolytic anemia
- AJCC – American Joint Committee on Cancer
- ALL – Acute lymphoblastic leukemia
- AML – Acute myeloid leukemia
- APL – Acute promyelocytic leukemia
- ASCO – American Society of Clinical Oncology
- ASCT – Autologous stem cell transplant
- ASH – American Society of Hematology
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This entry is for general education and is not medical advice. Abbreviation use varies between institutions; always confirm in context.