Lung cancer : journal of the International Association for the Study of Lung Cancer
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The recent approval of crizotinib for the treatment of anaplastic lymphoma kinase (ALK)-rearranged advanced non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) in the US and other countries has provoked intense interest in ALK rearrangements as oncogenic drivers, and promises to revolutionise the way in which NSCLC is diagnosed and treated. Here, we review clinical data to date for the use of crizotinib to treat patients with advanced, ALK-positive NSCLC and consider issues surrounding the detection of ALK-positivity including the use of fluorescence in situ hybridisation and the other potential techniques available, and their suitability for ALK screening. We also discuss the emergence of resistance to crizotinib therapy and the range of other ALK inhibitors currently in development.
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The cost of new anti-cancer drugs has dramatically increased in recent years, and countermeasures are required in order to limit pharmaceutical expenses. Sponsored clinical trials that provide drugs free of charge may be a useful tool in order to reduce drug costs. The aim of this analysis is to evaluate the effect of clinical trials on pharmaceutical expenditure savings. ⋯ The participation in sponsored clinical trials in which drugs are provided free of charge offers substantial cost savings for the National Health Service; moreover, the grants received for each enrolled patient produced additional income.