ALK expression favorably impacts the prognosis of NRAS-mutated metastatic melanomas.

ABSTRACT: Recent studies reported the expression of anaplastic lymphoma kinase (ALK) in malignant melanomas. The aim of this study was to investigate whether ALK expression is associated with specific clinical and molecular characteristics of melanoma metastases, and to evaluate its correlation with survival outcomes. Seventy-one patients with metastatic melanoma were investigated. Clinical features and survival outcomes were analyzed and correlated to ALK expression, as detected by immunohistochemistry and reverse transcription-quantitative polymerase chain reaction, and to the mutational status of BRAF, KRAS, NRAS, and PIK3CA. No translocations or ALK alternative isoforms were identified. ALK expression was mainly detected in NRAS mutated metastatic lesions. Interestingly, among NRAS-mutated patie

SUBMITTER: Osella-Abate S 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC6256323 | biostudies-literature | 2018 Dec

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature