ALK (anaplastic lymphoma kinase)
ALK (anaplastic lymphoma kinase) is a gene whose protein is a receptor tyrosine kinase; certain changes in the gene — such as ALK rearrangements — can keep the protein persistently active and contribute to some cancers.
ALK (anaplastic lymphoma kinase) is a gene that provides instructions for making a protein called ALK receptor tyrosine kinase, part of a family of proteins called receptor tyrosine kinases that transmit signals from the cell surface into the cell (a process called signal transduction). Certain changes in the ALK gene — including mutations, extra copies of the gene, or gene rearrangements that produce fusion proteins — can make the ALK protein constantly (constitutively) active. This persistent activation can abnormally increase the proliferation of cells and contribute to cancer formation.
NCI states that biomarker testing "is a way to look for genes, proteins, and other substances (called biomarkers or tumor markers) that can provide information about cancer," and that it "may help you and your doctor choose a cancer treatment."
neuroblastoma · non-small cell lung cancer · anaplastic large cell lymphoma · inflammatory myofibroblastic tumor
This is general information from authoritative sources, not medical advice. What a specific test result means for your case is a question for your treating oncologist.