ALK and non-small cell lung carcinoma: Non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), which accounts for approximately 85% of lung cancer, is one of the leading causes of cancer death worldwide.1 Kinase-targeted therapies such as EGFR, ALK and MET inhibitors are commonly used to treat NSCLC patients.2 However, only ~30% NSCLC patients harbor the activating mutations in these kinases hence are responsive to these therapies.3 Therefore, further understanding of NSCLC tumorigenesis is in urgent need for developing more effective therapeutic treatments.