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O. Castillo



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    P3.04 - Poster Session/ Biology, Pathology, and Molecular Testing (ID 235)

    • Event: WCLC 2015
    • Type: Poster
    • Track: Biology, Pathology, and Molecular Testing
    • Presentations: 1
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      P3.04-020 - ALK Rearrangements Epidemiology in Latin America (CLICaP) (ID 2957)

      09:30 - 09:30  |  Author(s): O. Castillo

      • Abstract
      • Slides

      Background:
      Latin American countries are heterogeneous in terms of lung cancer incidence, ethnicity, and exposure to potential carcinogens. The discovery of the echinoderm microtubule-associated protein like 4-anaplastic lymphoma kinase (EML4-ALK) translocation as an oncogenic driver has led to the development of novel therapies with activity in vitro and in the clinic. In this study we evaluated the frequency and clinical characteristics of ALK rearrangements in six Latin-American countries.

      Methods:
      A total of 2799 biopsies of advanced NSCLC patients from 6 countries of Latin America (Argentina, Colombia, Costa Rica, Panama, Ecuador, and Mexico) were evaluated by the method fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) for detection of ALK-rearrangements. Demographic and clinicopathologic characteristics were analyzed.

      Results:
      The FISH analyses showed positive ALK fusion gene status in 6.55% (181/2761) of the total sample from all participating countries. ALK+ for each country was a follows: Argentina 6.08% (105/1726), Colombia 4.83% (10/207), Costa Rica 4.83% (2/49), Mexico 8.57% (64/746), and Panama 0% (0/33). Ecuador only used immunohistochemistry for ALK detection rearrangement; therefore, these samples were excluded from FISH technique analysis.

      Conclusion:
      The frequency of ALK rearrangement in Latin America is higher than previously reported for the Caucasian and Japanese populations. In addition, there is significant continental variability. Until now, FISH for ALK testing is not widely available in Latin America due to its high cost, time-consumption and result interpretation. There is an increased need to develop a common platform for genomic evaluation in developing countries.

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