ALK positive
Term · Oncology and biomedicine · MLC-T-ONC-000379
Describes cells that have a protein called ALK on their surface. In cancer, it is also used to describe cells that have a change in the structure of the ALK gene or that make too much ALK protein. In normal cells, ALK helps control cell growth. Cancer cells that have the changed ALK gene or make too much ALK protein may grow more quickly. Knowing whether a cancer is ALK positive may help plan treatment. Cancers that may be ALK positive include neuroblastoma, non-small cell lung cancer, and anaplastic large cell lymphoma. Also called anaplastic lymphoma kinase positive.
| Identifier | MLC-T-ONC-000379 |
|---|---|
| Field | Oncology and biomedicine |
| Synonyms | anaplastic lymphoma kinase positive |
| References | NCI Dictionary of Cancer Terms |
Record as JSON
{
"id": "MLC-T-ONC-000379",
"term": "ALK positive",
"field": "Oncology and biomedicine",
"definition": "Describes cells that have a protein called ALK on their surface. In cancer, it is also used to describe cells that have a change in the structure of the ALK gene or that make too much ALK protein. In normal cells, ALK helps control cell growth. Cancer cells that have the changed ALK gene or make too much ALK protein may grow more quickly. Knowing whether a cancer is ALK positive may help plan treatment. Cancers that may be ALK positive include neuroblastoma, non-small cell lung cancer, and anaplastic large cell lymphoma. Also called anaplastic lymphoma kinase positive.",
"synonyms": [
"anaplastic lymphoma kinase positive"
],
"references": [
"NCI Dictionary of Cancer Terms"
],
"url": "https://mlchart.com/terminology/oncology/alk-positive/"
}
Record 644 of 17,721 in Oncology and biomedicine terminology (MLC-0111). Request the full dataset.