Case report: targeted therapy of malignant pleural mesothelioma with anaplastic lymphoma kinase receptor tyrosine kinase gene fusion mutation by crizotinib

Malignant mesothelioma is a rare highly invasive tumour originating from the mesothelial cells of the pleura, peritoneum and pericardium. Malignant pleural mesothelioma (MPM) is the most common type in all malignant mesothelioma. The onset of MPM is associated with exposure to asbestos and it can have an incubation period of up to 40 years. The incidence of MPM has been increasing worldwide in recent years, so more attention has been focused on its diagnosis, treatment and prognosis. Activating mutations, amplifications and fusions/rearrangements of the anaplastic lymphoma kinase receptor tyrosine kinase (<i>ALK</i>) gene are commonly seen in patients with non-small cell lung cancer. However, it is rare in MPM. This current case report describes a female patient with advanced MPM with an <i>ALK</i> gene fusion mutation. In this particular case, treatment with crizotinib demonstrated some initial efficacy, which suggests that this might be a promising strategy for patients with advanced MPM with an <i>ALK</i> gene mutation. This required further research and evaluation in the future.