Locally Recurrent Secretory Carcinoma of the Breast with NTRK3 Gene Fusion

Enhanced understanding of the molecular events underlying oncogenesis has led to the development of tumoragnostic treatment strategies, which aim to target a tumor's genomic profile regardless of its anatomic site of origin. A classic example is the translocation resulting in an ETV6-NTRK3 gene fusion, a characteristic driver of a histologically diverse array of cancers. The chimeric ETV6-NTRK3 fusion protein elicits constitutive activation of the tropomyosin receptor kinase (TRK) C protein, leading to increased cell survival, growth, and proliferation. Two TRK inhibitors, larotrectinib and entrectinib, are currently approved for use in the metastatic setting for the treatment of advanced solid tumors harboring NTRK fusions. Here we report a rare case of recurrent secretory carcinoma of the breast (SCB) with NTRK3 gene fusion. Whereas most cases of SCB represent slow-growing tumors with favorable outcomes, the case detailed here is the first to the authors' knowledge of recurrence within 1 year of surgery. We review the molecular findings and potential clinical significance.

Automated summary

Enhanced understanding of the molecular events underlying oncogenesis has led to the development of tumoragnostic treatment strategies that target a tumor's genomic profile regardless of its anatomic site of origin. One classic example is the ETV6-NTRK3 gene fusion, which activates the TRK protein, leading to increased cell survival, growth, and proliferation.