Application of Ventana immunocytochemical analysis on ThinPrep cytology slides for detection of ALK rearrangement in patients with advanced non–small-cell lung cancer

摘要

BackgroundVentana ALK (D5F3) screening of anaplastic lymphoma kinase (ALK) gene rearrangement in tissue specimens has been approved by US FDA (Food and Drug Administration) to select treatment for non–small-cell lung carcinoma (NSCLC). However, tumor tissues are often not readily obtainable, and cytology specimens and may be the only tumor material available for diagnosis and molecular marker analysis. In this study, we evaluated the feasibility of ALK immunocytochemistry (ICC) on ThinPrep slides and determined a suitable scoring system for interpretation of the results.