WebPathology

Public service announcement of the day: remember that ALK alterations are not only seen in lung adenocarcinomas. Here is an example of a carcinoid tumor with ALK fusion (extremely rare, except here at #Moffitt). We are certainly writing this one up. The IHC is ALK D5F3. Pulmonary carcinoid tumors very rarely harbor ALK rearrangements, in contrast to non–small cell lung cancers where ALK fusions represent a well‑established oncogenic driver. The literature documents only isolated case reports, underscoring the exceptional nature of this finding. This scarcity suggests that ALK testing in carcinoid tumors is generally low yield; however, when detected, these fusions may offer meaningful therapeutic implications, particularly given the success of ALK inhibitors in other thoracic malignancies. #lung #pathology #pulmpath #thoracicpath #MedEd #PathTwitter