Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer in a Very Young Woman: A Case Report and Critical Review of the Literature
Unusual clinical course, Educational Purpose (only if useful for a systematic review or synthesis)
Valentina Polo, Giulia Zago, Stefano Frega, Fabio Canova, Laura Bonanno, Adolfo Favaretto, Laura Bonaldi, Roberta Bertorelle, PierFranco Conte, Giulia Pasello
Department of Surgery, Oncology and Gastroenterology, University of Padova, Padova, Italy
Am J Case Rep 2015; 16:782-789
DOI: 10.12659/AJCR.894426
Available online: 2015-11-03
Published: 2015-11-03
BACKGROUND:
Lung cancer in young patients is quite uncommon; clinical presentation and outcome in this population compared to the older group are not yet well defined and data about this setting are mostly single-institutional retrospective analyses.
CASE REPORT:
We report here a case of a very young woman with diagnosis of early-stage lung adenocarcinoma harboring EML4-ALK rearrangement; she underwent radical surgery and adjuvant chemotherapy according to the pathologic stage. Potential risk factors for lung cancer in our patient are discussed and clinico-pathologic features and outcomes of lung cancer in the young population compared to the elderly are reviewed through discussing studies with sample sizes larger than 100 patients.
CONCLUSIONS:
A wide clinical overview should be performed when lung cancer is diagnosed in a young patient. Large-population studies are required to define the molecular signature and clinical behavior of lung cancer in young patients.
Keywords: DNA, Neoplasm - analysis, Carcinoma, Non-Small-Cell Lung - surgery, Gene Rearrangement, genetic testing, Lung Neoplasms - surgery, Oncogene Proteins, Fusion - metabolism, Pneumonectomy, Thoracic Surgery, Video-Assisted, Tomography, X-Ray Computed, young adult
