Objective: Oncogenic echinoderm microtubule-associated protein-like 4 (EML4)-anaplastic lymphoma kinase (ALK) (EML4-ALK) fusion proteins found in non-small cell lung cancers (NSCLC) are constitutively phosphorylated and activated by dimerization via the coiled-coil domain (cc) within EML4. The gene discussed is EML4; the disease is non-small cell lung carcinoma.