Abstract:Anaplastic lymphoma kinase (ALK) gene fusion mutation is a unique subtype of non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), accounting for 3%-7% of all NSCLC cases. Although ALK tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs) such as crizotinib, alectinib, and lorlatinib have significantly improved the prognosis of patients, acquired resistance remains a major clinical challenge. Primary resistance to ALK-TKIs involves rare ALK fusion variants, ALK point mutations, coexisting driver gene mutations, and abnormal tumor microenvironments. Secondary resistance can be divided into ALK-dependent and ALK-independent resistance. The former is mainly produced by kinase domain mutation, ALK amplification and other mechanisms, while the latter involves bypass signal activation and histological phenotype transformation (such as transformation to small cell lung cancer). To address the challenge of drug resistance, new-generation ALK-TKIs (such as fourth-generation TPX-0131 and NVL-655) and combination therapies (such as immunotherapy, anti-angiogenic therapy, and chemotherapy) have emerged as promising therapeutic options. Future advancements in ALK-positive NSCLC management will rely on optimizing drug selection and sequencing strategies, integrating resistance mutation profiling, and developing personalized combination regimens to achieve precision oncology goals.