Dr. Weinberg on Treating Patients with NTRK Fusions in NSCLC

Frank Weinberg, MD, PhD, physician, researcher, Division of Hematology & Oncology, University of Illinois Health, discusses the treatment options in non–small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) harboring NTRK fusions.

NTRK fusion–positive lung cancer is rare, accounting for less than 1% of patients, Weinberg says. However, NTRK fusions are more common in other types of cancer, and clinical trials aimed at NTRK fusion–positive solid tumors also enrolled patients with NSCLC, Weinberg adds. These studies found the NTRK inhibitors larotrectinib (Vitrakvi) and entrectinib (Rozlytrek) generate responses in patients with NTRK gene fusions, Weinberg explains.

In November 2018 and August 2019, the FDA approved larotrectinib and entrectinib for the treatment of NTRK fusion–positive solid tumors, respectively, and they are now being used in the front line setting of NSCLC, Weinberg continues. Data have shown NTRK inhibitors generate favorable overall response rates and progression-free survival rates in patients with NSCLC, Weinberg concludes.