PATIENTS POSITIVE FOR EGFR MUTATIONS BENEFIT FROM TYROSINE KINASE INHIBITORS (GEFITINIB). THIS ASSAY DETECTS INSERTIONS / DELETIONS IN CODONS 19 AND 20. IT ALSO DETECTS THE MOST COMMON MUTATIONS IN CODONS 18, 19, 20 AND 21.

ANAPLASTIC LYMPHOMA KINASE (ALK) ENCODES A RECEPTOR TYROSINE KINASE & ALK GENE REARRANGEMENT (ALK+) IS IMPLICATED IN THE ONCOGENESIS OF NON-SMALL CELL LUNG CARCINOMAS (NSCLC) SPECIALLY ADENOCARCINOMAS. PATIENTS WITH SUCH TUMORS HAVE BEEN SHOWN TO RESPOND TO THE ALK KINASE INHIBITOR CRIZOTINIB (XALKORI). PATIENTS WITH ALK+ ANAPLASTIC LARGE CELL LYMPHOMAS ALSO SHOW GOOD RESPONSE ON TREATMENT WITH CRIZOTINIB.