Molecular Mechanisms and Treatment Strategies of ALK-Positive Lung Cancer: A Beginner's Guide for Patients, Their Families and Carers.

This review has been written with the intention of explaining to the patients with ALK-positive lung cancer, and to their families, friends, carers and medical teams, in simple terms, the fundamentals, and the current state of knowledge of this particular type of cancer. The review begins with basic facts about lung anatomy and lung cancer, then explains general principles of how cell proliferation is regulated at the molecular level. The coverage of the molecular events underlying the development of ALK-positive lung cancer and principles of targeted therapies then follows. The review concludes with an analysis of various therapeutic approaches to treat ALK-positive lung cancer. The Supporting Information section contains additional advanced information illustrating specific points of interest.