ALK-positive lung cancer responds very well to a group of targeted drugs called ALK inhibitors. Chemotherapy and other drugs also work against this cancer.
However it often returns after treatment.
How long a person might live with ALK-positive lung cancer depends in part on its stage at diagnosis. In a 2018 study, people with stage 4 ALK-positive lung cancer lived for an erage of nearly 7 years after their diagnosis.
Your type of treatment also matters. People in a 2019 study who took the targeted drug crizotinib (Xalkori) lived longer than those who received chemotherapy.
Your age might also affect your life expectancy, according to 2019 research. Younger people are often diagnosed at a later stage when their cancer is harder to treat. People ages 60 and over sometimes live longer because they’re diagnosed at an earlier stage.