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Edina Kiss1, Zsuzsanna Pápai1

  • 1Onkológiai Osztály, Magyar Honvédség Egészségügyi Központ, Budapest, Hungary. edina.kiss.dobos@gmail.com.

Magyar Onkologia
|March 28, 2022
PubMed

Insights

Tumor agnostic therapies, targeting neurotrophic tropomyosin receptor tyrosine kinase (NTRK) gene fusions, show promise. Larotrectinib effectively treated a rare metastatic soft tissue sarcoma with NTRK3 gene fusion.

Area of Science:

  • Oncology
  • Molecular Diagnostics
  • Genomics

Background:

  • Tumor agnostic therapies offer new treatment avenues by targeting specific genomic alterations.
  • Neurotrophic tropomyosin receptor tyrosine kinase (NTRK) gene fusions are recognized as crucial driver oncogenes in various adult and pediatric malignancies.
  • First-generation TRK inhibitors demonstrate rapid, effective, and durable antitumor responses with a favorable safety profile.

Observation:

  • A young adult female presented with a disseminated, recurrent soft tissue sarcoma of the lower limb.
  • Previous systemic treatments failed to yield a significant therapeutic response.
  • Molecular diagnostics identified a rare neurotrophic tropomyosin receptor tyrosine kinase 3 (NTRK3) gene fusion.

Findings:

  • Larotrectinib, a tropomyosin receptor tyrosine kinase inhibitor, was administered.
  • The therapy demonstrated good efficacy and improved the patient's quality of life.
  • Larotrectinib was the sole systemic treatment to which the metastatic soft tissue tumor responded.

Implications:

  • This case highlights the clinical utility of tumor agnostic therapies in rare NTRK-driven sarcomas.
  • Molecular profiling is essential for identifying targetable genomic alterations, such as NTRK gene fusions.
  • Larotrectinib represents a viable and effective treatment option for patients with NTRK-altered metastatic cancers.

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