Precision oncology: Diagnosis and treatment of TRK fusion-positive GI cancers

In this podcast, PO CONNECT members Prof Frédérique Penault-Llorca (University of Clermont-Ferrand, France) and Prof Andrea Sartore-Bianchi (Niguarda Cancer Centre, Milan, Italy) provide both a pathologist and medical oncologist perspective about the detection and treatment of TRK fusion-positive GI cancers, with a particular focus on colorectal cancer.

Penault-Llorca and Sartore-Bianchi start by explaining TRK fusion biology, the role as oncogenic drivers and briefly describe the two approved TRK inhibitors. They then discuss the challenges of finding patients harboring these fusions, referring to how enrichment strategies and predictors can aid identification in patients with GI cancers. Finally, they discuss key efficacy and safety data for larotrectinib and entrectinib, as well as mentioning second-generation products in development to tackle mechanisms of resistance.