Mechanisms of resistance to RET-directed therapies

The association between RET and multiple endocrine neoplasia type 2 was established in 1993 and remains one of the very few oncogenes for which distinct phenotypes (medullary thyroid cancer or phaeochromocytoma) are associated with the same hot-spot variants occurring either in germline or somatic DNA. Somatic RET fusion events have also been described in several cancers, including papillary thyroid cancer, non-small cell lung cancer, breast cancer, salivary gland cancer and pancreatic cancer. Highly selective RET inhibitors have improved outcomes in RET-altered cancers and have been well tolerated. Nevertheless, primary and acquired drug resistance has been observed, arising from distinct genomic alterations either in RET (on target resistance) or via alternate oncogenic pathways (bypass resistance). The same mechanisms of resistance have been observed across multiple cancer types, which implies RET-altered cancers evolve away from RET addiction via stochastic subclonal events. Understanding these mechanisms is crucial for identifying therapeutic opportunities to overcome resistance. Successful treatment targeting bypass oncogenes has been reported in several instances, at least for short-term outcomes; in contrast, although several compounds have been reported to overcome on-target RET alterations, none have yet been translated into routine clinical practice and this remains an area of urgent clinical need.