Long time response with chemotherapy in ROS1 NSCLC patient with unusual metastatic site

Cancer Biol Ther. 2016 Oct 2;17(10):1089-1093. doi: 10.1080/15384047.2016.1219822. Epub 2016 Sep 10.

Abstract

During the last decade the therapeutic landscape of Non Small Cell Lung Cancer (NSCLC) has profoundly changed with the identification of actionable genetic alterations that defined molecularly selected subgroups of patients with specific clinic-pathological characteristics and increased sensitivity to specific targeted agents. The presence of ROS1 rearrangements defines a small subgroup of lung adenocarcinomas (∼1-2%) with peculiar clinic-pathological characteristics and increased sensitivity to Crizotinib. It has been reported that ROS1-tranlslocated NSCLCs may also respond well to Pemetrexed-based chemotherapy. Moreover, patients with oncogene-addicted NSCLC may present peculiar pattern of metastatization and, in some instances, are associated with unusual site of metastases. Herein, we present a case of a young woman with bilateral ovarian metastases from a ROS1-positive adenocarcinoma of the lung with a lengthy progression-free survival on Pemetrexed-containing chemotherapy.

Keywords: NSCLC; ROS1; genetic rearrangements; long survivor; ovarian metastases; pemetrexed.