Identifying patients with NTRK fusion cancer Review


Authors: Solomon, J. P.; Benayed, R.; Hechtman, J. F.; Ladanyi, M.
Review Title: Identifying patients with NTRK fusion cancer
Abstract: Due to the efficacy of tropomyosin receptor kinase (TRK) inhibitor therapy and the recent Food and Drug Administration approval of larotrectinib, it is now clinically important to accurately and efficiently identify patients with neurotrophic TRK (NTRK) fusion-driven cancer. These oncogenic fusions occur when the kinase domain of NTRK1, NTRK2 or NTRK3 fuse with any of a number of N-terminal partners. NTRK fusions are characteristic of a few rare types of cancer, such as secretory carcinoma of the breast or salivary gland and infantile fibrosarcoma, but they are also infrequently seen in some common cancers, such as melanoma, glioma and carcinomas of the thyroid, lung and colon. There are multiple methods for identifying NTRK fusions, including pan-TRK immunohistochemistry, fluorescence in situ hybridisation and sequencing methods, and the advantages and drawbacks of each are reviewed here. While testing algorithms will obviously depend on availability of various testing modalities and economic considerations for each individual laboratory, we propose triaging specimens based on histology and other molecular findings to most efficiently identify tumours harbouring these treatable oncogenic fusions. © The Author(s) 2019. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the European Society for Medical Oncology.
Keywords: tyrosine kinase inhibitor; next-generation sequencing; ntrk fusions; ancillary testing
Journal Title: Annals of Oncology
Volume: 30
Issue: Suppl. 8
ISSN: 0923-7534
Publisher: Oxford University Press  
Date Published: 2019-11-01
Start Page: viii16
End Page: viii22
Language: English
DOI: 10.1093/annonc/mdz384
PUBMED: 31738428
PROVIDER: scopus
PMCID: PMC6859817
DOI/URL:
Notes: Source: Scopus
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MSK Authors
  1. Marc Ladanyi
    1326 Ladanyi
  2. Jaclyn Frances Hechtman
    212 Hechtman
  3. Rym Benayed
    188 Benayed
  4. James Patrick Solomon
    15 Solomon