In this issue, two cases of excellent response to molecularly targeted drugs are reported.
Kodama et al. [1] report a case of a 40-year-old woman who underwent surgery and adjuvant chemotherapy for lung cancer, who developed multiple metastases, including carcinomatous pleuritis and brain metastases. The tumor had EML4-ALK fusion, variant two. Although there have been no reports of ALK inhibitors for this variant, long-term disease control was achieved in this patient with continuous prescription of ALK inhibitors and timely local therapy.
Ando et al. [2] report a case of a 55-year-old woman with a very rare malignant tumor, a secretory carcinoma of the external auditory canal. The tumor extended into the medulla oblongata and had ETV6-NTRK3 fusion. The patient was treated with larotrectinib, a TRK inhibitor, and complete tumor resolution was observed.
These case reports again demonstrate the importance of personalized treatment based on cancer gene panel testing. Furthermore, accumulating case reports of very rare tumor subtypes, such as a lung cancer with EML4-ALK fusion, variant two, and a malignant tumor of the external auditory canal with ETV6-NTRK3 fusion, are also valuable for academic purposes.
Footnotes
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References
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