Clinical Meaning of EML4-ALK Fusion Gene in Non-small Cell Lung Cancer

Lung cancer continues to be the leading cause of cancer death worldwide, and non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) is the most common type of lung cancer. Molecular targeted therapy is the most promising development part in the treatment of NSCLC. In recent years, more and more attention has been focused on some new molecular targets in NSCLC, such as echinodem microtubule-associated protein-like4/anaplastic lymphoma kinase (EML4-ALK) fusion gene. This review will focus on the basic structure, clinicopathologic features, detection method, ALK inhibitor and therapeutic meaning of EML4-ALK in NSCLC.