Promising Response of Anaplastic Lymphoma Kinase-positive Large B-cell Lymphoma to Crizotinib Salvage Treatment: Case Report and Review of Literature

Anaplastic lymphoma kinase (ALK)-positive diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (ALK + DLBCL) is a rare and poorly characterized subtype of lymphoma. Reports suggest that this type of tumor responds poorly to standard regimens for non-Hodgkin's lymphoma, with rituximab playing no therapeutic role due to the absence of CD20 expression. In view of the expression of ALK in this disease, it is plausible that the ALK inhibitor crizotinib may be an effective treatment. We report a case of a 21-year-old male ALK + DLBCL patient. He initially received five cycles of CHOP-21 (vincristine, pirarubicin, cyclophosphamide and prednisone) and achieved a partial remission (PR) but soon deteriorated. He was subsequently treated with five courses of the salvage chemotherapy regimen ICE (ifosfamide, carboplatin and etoposide) and achieved PR again. He refused to accept an autologous stem-cell transplantation, after which the disease progressed rapidly. We administered two courses of an alternative salvage chemotherapy regimen containing GEMOX and dexamethasone with the addition of the ALK inhibitor crizotinib. His symptoms alleviated for a short time but soon worsened and the patient died of massive progressive disease.