Systematic literature review of the epidemiology of neurotrophic tyrosine receptor kinase positive solid tumor sites

This study aimed to expand on existing systematic literature reviews (SLRs) by assessing the prevalence of neurotrophic tyrosine receptor kinase (NTRK) fusion-positive mutations across solid tumors in adult U.S populations. It further evaluated incidence, testing, treatment, mortality, and progression rates by tumor type, extending evidence through 2023. A SLR was conducted following Cochrane and PRISMA guidelines, with searches across Ovid Embase, Ovid MEDLINE, and Cochrane Library databases for studies published from 2013 to August 2023. Eligibility criteria included studies on NTRK fusion-positive tumors in patients aged ≥12 years. Data were extracted and assessed using the Newcastle-Ottawa Scale and JBI checklist. This SLR identified 160 studies, reporting NTRK fusion prevalence ranging from 0.03% to 0.70% across solid tumors. TRK inhibitors, particularly larotrectinib and entrectinib, were commonly used treatments. Prevalence varied significantly by cancer type, being higher in rarer cancers, such as papillary thyroid carcinoma (up to 21.4%). NTRK fusions are rare, with wide prevalence variability among cancer types. The findings highlight the need for standardized diagnostic methods and larger real-world studies to improve prevalence estimates and assess the impact of NTRK fusions on outcomes, ultimately aiding in the optimization of targeted treatments for affected patients.