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Your diagnosis

People who have ALK

People who have ALK+ NSCLC

People who are diagnosed with ALK+ NSCLC tend to be:
  • Younger than a lot of other people diagnosed with cancer10–12
    About a third of people with ALK+ NSCLC are diagnosed before they are 40, and about half by the time they are 50. In comparison, most people with lung cancer are usually diagnosed around the age of 70
  • Never-smokers, or light smokers10,11,13,14
    Many people who are diagnosed with ALK+ NSCLC have only lightly smoked, or never even smoked at all

Risk factors for developing ALK+ NSCLC

Right now, we don’t know exactly why some people develop a change in their ALK gene.

Although smoking and being exposed to second-hand smoke are some of the most well-known causes of lung cancer,15 people who develop ALK+ NSCLC have often never smoked, or may have only lightly smoked, in the past.5,16

Developing lung cancer when you have little or no smoking history can be extremely frustrating, and you might find yourself looking for answers as to why you have developed lung cancer at all.

There are a number of other factors (summarised below) that are thought to be associated with the development of NSCLCs. However, it’s important to note that for some people, there may be no obvious cause as to why they have developed ALK+ NSCLC.

Exposure to inhaled or ingested substances such as:
  • Asbestos17
  • Arsenic17
  • Non-tobacco smoke (e.g. burning buildings and wildfires, which may contain traces of metals and other carcinogenic substances)17
  • Diesel exhaust17
  • Metals such as chromium, beryllium, and nickel (you might be exposed to these if you work with car engines, or around smelting or welding, for example)17
  • Atmospheric pollutants18
Radiation exposure from:
  • X-rays, CT scans19
  • Radiotherapy to the chest area20
  • Radon exposure21
  • Exposure to radioactive fallout22
Family history/genetics
  • Although inheritance is not guaranteed, people with a family history of lung cancer are more likely to develop it than people without22,23
HIV infection
  • People with HIV are up to three times more likely to develop lung cancer than those without the infection24,25

Click on one of the options below to learn more 

Alterations

Alterations

Changes to DNA can cause some cancers to start growing. ALK+, RET+, and ROS1+ are examples of these changes.
RET

RET

Discover what RET+ NSCLC means and what impact it might have on your NSCLC.
ROS1

ROS1

Learn what causes ROS1+ NSCLC and how this might affect you.
Click here to view the glossary
ALK
Anaplastic lymphoma kinase
DNA
Deoxyribonucleic acid
NSCLC
Non-small cell lung cancer

  1. Elliot J et al. PLoS One 2020; 15(2): e0229179.
  2. Cancer Research UK. Genes, DNA and cancer. 2020. Available at: https://www.cancerresearchuk.org/about-cancer/what-is-cancer/genes-dna-and-cancer. Accessed October 2021.
  3. Cooper JP and Youle RJ. Curr Opin Cell Biol 2012; 24(6): 802–803.
  4. Dearden S et al. Ann Oncol 2013; 24(9): 2371–2376.
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  6. To KF et al. J Thorac Oncol 2013; 8(7): 883–891.
  7. Hallberg B and Palmer RH. Nat Rev Cancer 2013; 13(10): 685–700.
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  12. SEER Cancer Stat Fact Sheets: Lung and Bronchus Cancer. Available at: https://seer.cancer.gov/statfacts/html/lungb.html. Last accessed October 2021.
  13. Camidge DR et al. Lancet Oncol 2012; 13(10): 1011–1019.
  14. Kayaniyil S et al. Curr Oncol 2016; 23(6): e589–e597.
  15. National Comprehensive Cancer Network (NCCN). NCCN clinical practice guideline in oncology: non-small cell lung cancer, Version v1 2022.
  16. Perez CA et al. Lung Cancer 2014; 84(2): 110–115.
  17. Field RW & Withers BL. Clin Chest Med 2012; 33(4): 10.1016/j.ccm.2012.07.001.
  18. World Health Organization (WHO). Ambient (outdoor) air quality and health. 2018. Available at: http://www.who.int/en/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/ambient-(outdoor)-air-quality-and-health. Accessed October 2021.
  19. Berrington de González A et al. J Med Screen 2008; 15(3): 153–158.
  20. Friedman DL et al. J Natl Cancer Inst 2010; 102(14): 1083–1095.
  21. American Cancer Society. Radon and cancer. 2015. Available at: https://www.cancer.org/cancer/cancer-causes/radiation-exposure/radon.html. Accessed October 2021.
  22. Shimizu Y et al. Radiat Res 1990; 121(2): 120–141.
  23. Schwartz AG & Ruckdeschel JC. Am J Respir Crit Care Med 2005; 173(1): 16–22.
  24. Shiels MS et al. J Acquir Immune Defic Syndr 2009; 52(5): 611–622.
  25. Winstone TA et al. Chest 2013; 143(2): 305–314.
  26. Shaw AT et al. J Clin Oncol 2009; 27(26): 4247–4253.
  27. Johung KL et al. J Clin Oncol 2015; 34: 107.
  28. Guérin A et al. J Med Econ 2014; 18: 312–322.
  29. Ochi N & Takigawa N. Transl Cancer Res 2017;6(Suppl 3): S515–S518.
  30. European Medicines Agency. Xalkori (crizotinib) European public assessment report, summary for the public. EMA/73311/2018, EMEA/H/C/002489. 2017. Available at: https://www.ema.europa.eu/en/documents/overview/xalkori-epar-summary-public_en.pdf. Accessed October 2021.
  31. European Medicines Agency. Alecensa (alectinib) European public assessment report, summary for the public. EMA/376895/2018, EMEA/H/C/004164. 2018. Available at: https://www.ema.europa.eu/en/documents/overview/alecensa-epar-summary-public_en.pdf. Accessed October 2021.
  32. Pacheco MJ et al. J Thorac Oncol 2019; 14(4): 691–700.