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Adashek JJ, Kato S, Sicklick JK, Lippman SM, Kurzrock R. If it's a target, it's a pan-cancer target: Tissue is not the issue. Cancer Treat Rev 2024; 125:102721. [PMID: 38522181 PMCID: PMC11093268 DOI: 10.1016/j.ctrv.2024.102721] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/21/2024] [Revised: 03/13/2024] [Accepted: 03/20/2024] [Indexed: 03/26/2024]
Abstract
Cancer is traditionally diagnosed and treated on the basis of its organ of origin (e.g., lung or colon cancer). However, organ-of-origin diagnostics does not reveal the underlying oncogenic drivers. Fortunately, molecular diagnostics have advanced at a breathtaking pace, and it is increasingly apparent that cancer is a disease of the genome. Hence, we now have multiple genomic biomarker-based, tissue-agnostic Food and Drug Administration approvals for both gene- and immune-targeted therapies (larotrectinib/entrectinib, for NTRK fusions; selpercatinib, RET fusions; dabrafenib plus trametinib, BRAFV600E mutations; pembrolizumab/dostarlimab, microsatellite instability; and pembrolizumab for high tumor mutational burden; pemigatinib is also approved for FGFR1-rearranged myeloid/lymphoid neoplasms). There are emerging targets as well, including but not limited to ALK, BRCA and/or homologous repair deficiency, ERBB2 (HER2), IDH1/2, KIT, KRASG12C, NRG1, and VHL. Many tissue-agnostic approvals center on rare/ultra-rare biomarkers (often < 1 % of cancers), necessitating screening hundreds of tumors to find a single one harboring the cognate molecular alteration. Approval has generally been based on small single-arm studies (<30-100 patients) with high response rates (>30 % to > 75 %) of remarkable durability. Because of biomarker rarity, single-gene testing is not practical; next generation sequencing of hundreds of genes must be performed to obtain timely answers. Resistance to biomarker-driven therapeutics is often due to secondary mutations or co-driver gene defects; studies are now addressing the need for customized drug combinations matched to the complex molecular alteration portfolio in each tumor. Future investigation should expand tissue-agnostic therapeutics to encompass both hematologic and solid malignancies and include biomarkers beyond those that are DNA-based.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jacob J Adashek
- Department of Oncology, The Sidney Kimmel Comprehensive Cancer Center, The Johns Hopkins Hospital, Baltimore, MD, USA.
| | - Shumei Kato
- Center for Personalized Cancer Therapy and Division of Hematology and Oncology, Department of Medicine, UC San Diego Moores Cancer Center, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - Jason K Sicklick
- Center for Personalized Cancer Therapy and Division of Hematology and Oncology, Department of Medicine, UC San Diego Moores Cancer Center, La Jolla, CA, USA; Department of Surgery, Division of Surgical Oncology, University of California San Diego, UC San Diego Health, San Diego, CA, USA; Department of Pharmacology, University of California San Diego, UC San Diego Health, San Diego, CA, USA
| | - Scott M Lippman
- Center for Personalized Cancer Therapy and Division of Hematology and Oncology, Department of Medicine, UC San Diego Moores Cancer Center, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - Razelle Kurzrock
- Genomic Sciences and Precision Medicine Center, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee Wisconsin, USA; WIN Consortium, Paris France; University of Nebraska, United States.
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