Furthermore, within the ALK-positive cohorts, 6 (42.9%) of 14 patients had stage IV disease, but only 10 (10.2%) of 98 patients with EGFR mutations had metastatic disease, which suggests a trend toward higher clinical stage among ALK-positive patients compared with EGFR mutant cohorts (P = 0.002). This evidence concerns the gene ALK and metastatic neoplasm.