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ALK-positive lung cancer
If your cancer is ALK-positive, you're in a small group with some of the most effective pills in lung cancer, and many people stay active on them for years.
ℹ️ General information to help you and your loved ones talk with your care team, not medical advice. Read our disclaimer.
The quick guide
What it means: Part of the ALK gene has fused with another gene, which drives cancer growth.
How it's found: Found with tissue testing (IHC, FISH or a gene panel), sometimes blood.
How common it is: About 4 to 5% of non-small cell lung cancers, often in younger people who never smoked.
How treatment works
🌱 Early-stage
- For resected early-stage ALK-positive cancer, alectinib after surgery is an option.
🔁 Advanced or metastatic
- ALK pills such as alectinib, lorlatinib or brigatinib, which also reach the brain well.
- When one ALK pill stops working, another, or chemo, may be next.
Approvals depend on stage and prior treatment. Your care team will decide what fits you.
Drug guides
Biomarker tests that matter
Side effects you may notice
- Fatigue (extreme tiredness)
- Constipation (hard or infrequent stools)
- Dermatitis (skin rash and skin changes)
❓ Questions you and your loved ones can ask
- Which ALK pill is best for me?
- How often will I get brain scans?
Back to Lung cancer overview. Other types: EGFR-positive lung cancer, KRAS-positive lung cancer (including G12C), Lung cancer with ROS1, BRAF, MET, RET, NTRK, HER2 or NRG1 changes, Lung cancer with no driver mutation (PD-L1 guides treatment), Small cell lung cancer (SCLC).
Written by the Cancer Side Effects Guide team from FDA labels and leading cancer centers. Not medical advice. · Last updated: October 15, 2026 · How we write