This study aims to evaluate the incidence of NTRK rearrangements in patients with solid tumors in Italy. Additionally, the study seeks to define the correlation between IHC and FISH testing and to simplify the assessment of NTRK rearrangements in patients with solid tumors.
Neurotrophic tropomyosin-related kinases (NTRKs, or the commonly used alias TRKs) constitute a receptor tyrosine kinase family of neurotrophin receptors involved in neuronal development, including the growth and function of neuronal synapses and memory development. NTRK1/2/3 gene fusions have emerged as new targets for cancer therapy as they can be successfully inhibited by targeted kinase inhibitors. Several compounds targeting TRKs are currently being explored in clinical trials and, notably, one of these compounds, larotrectinib (VITRAKVI®), has received accelerated approval by the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for adult and paediatric solid tumours with a NTRK fusion without known resistance mutations. In addition, entrectinib has received breakthrough designation status by the United States FDA for the treatment of cancers types harbouring NTRK fusions. Hence, there is an active interest in clinical oncology for NTRK fusions, which has prompted an urgent need to define the routine diagnostic test to identify gene fusions as a companion diagnostic method to support clinical decision in this context. Irrespective of the method adopted for NTRK detection, high activity of anti-NTRK agents and therefore the necessity to guarantee these agents to all NTRK+ patients, strongly supports a NTRK screening program for patients with cancer.
Study Type
OBSERVATIONAL
Enrollment
5,000
Grisel Maver Militello
Roma, RM, Italy
Istituti Fisioterapici Ospitalieri- Ifo - Istituto Regina Elena
Roma, RM, Italy
To assess the incidence of NTRK rearrangements in patients with solid tumors in Italy
Tumor tissue slides (4 micron) will be tested for NTRK positivity by means of immunohistochemistry (IHC) and then confirmed by means of fluorescence in-situ hybridization (FISH).
Time frame: 36 months
To define incidence of NTRK in different tumor types
The incidence of NTRK gene fusions across different tumor types involves determining how frequently these genetic alterations occur within various malignancies. This process is essential for understanding the potential role of targeted therapies, such as TRK inhibitors, in specific cancers
Time frame: 36 months
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