Dr. Drilon on Treatment Selection Considerations in ALK+ NSCLC

Alexander Drilon, MD, research director, Early Drug Development, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, discusses what factors he considers when selecting treatment for patients with ALK fusion-positive non—small cell lung cancer (NSCLC).

Clinical outcomes of prospective testing that demonstrate an agent’s activity may offer suggestion to guide treatment selection, Drilon says. Key data points include good response rate, durable disease control, and prolonged median progression-free survival. Additionally, central nervous system activity of an agent is important as many ALK-positive patients will develop brain metastases.

Other factors including toxicity profile and disease state may also influence treatment decision, explains Drilon. For example, if a patient progressed on a previous TKI, adding a next-generation TKI may not be the optimal strategy to reestablish disease control.