Two ALK drugs compared after lung cancer surgery
Original title: Adjuvant alectinib versus crizotinib in completely resected ALK-positive non-small-cell lung cancer: a real-world retrospective cohort study.
How far along is this research?
- Lab cells
- Animals
- Review
- Tested in people
This was tested in people. That is the most reliable kind of research we share.
Both drugs are already approved and used after surgery today.
The short version
In one hospital's records, people who took alectinib after surgery stayed cancer free longer.
What was studied. Doctors looked back at records of 48 people with ALK positive lung cancer. All had surgery that removed the cancer. After surgery, 26 took alectinib and 22 took crizotinib.
What they found. After 3 years, 91.4% of the alectinib group had no cancer return. In the crizotinib group, it was 41.4%. Spread to the brain was also less common with alectinib. After 3 years, 95.2% had no brain spread, compared with 74.8%. Most side effects were mild. No severe side effects happened with alectinib. With crizotinib, 27.3% had severe side effects.
What this means, and what it doesn't
What it could mean: Alectinib is already an option after surgery for this kind of lung cancer. These records support that choice. If you take an ALK drug after surgery, you can ask your doctor which one fits you.
What it doesn't mean: This was not a trial. Doctors only looked back at old records from one hospital. Just 48 people were included, so the numbers could change in bigger studies. A look back like this cannot prove the drug caused the better results. It is not a cure, and it does not promise the cancer will stay away.
Source: PubMed, August 31, 2026 · Read the original
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