Abstract:        Background and purpose: Although crizotinib could manifest marked antitumor activity in anaplastic lymphoma kinase (ALK)-rearrangement-positive non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) patients, but brain metastases is always occured in such patients. This study aimed to explore the efficacy and treatment mode of crizotinib for brain metastases in ALK-rearrangement-positive NSCLC. Methods: The clinical data of 6 patients with brain metastases in ALK-rearrangement-positive NSCLC treated in 81 Hospital of PLA from Jan. 2011 to Aug. 2014 were analyzed retrospectively. Results: Three patients had brain metastases before crizotinib administration, 1 obtained partial response (PR) and 2 obtained stable disease (SD) in intracraninal tumors. The median progression free survival (PFS)for the first period of crizotinib administration were 5.7 months, and the sites of first disease progression were brains. All the 6 patients continued to receive crizotinib after radiotherapy with the median PFS of 4 months. One patient even experienced a median PFS of 23.3 months for the second period of crizotinib administration, and her brain tumors obtained complete response (CR). Conclusion: The data of this study suggest that crizotinib is effective for brain metastases in ALK-rearrangement-positive NSCLC, and continued administration of crizotinib after radiotherapy for isolated intracraninal tumor progression is a elective treatment option for such patients.

Key words: Non-small cell lung cancer, Brain metastases, Anaplastic lymphoma kinase, Crizotinib