THYROID CANCERS

Therapy that targets angiogenesis has been extensively investigated in differentiated thyroid cancer (DTC) and has demonstrated significant antitumor activity.

A Mayo Clinic Laboratory, which discovered that upregulation of ras homolog gene family member B (RhoB), in combination with paclitaxel results in enhanced antitumor activity, has uncovered the molecular mechanisms underlying combination therapy for anaplastic thyroid cancer (ATC).

Lori J. Wirth, MD, hematology/oncology, Department of Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital, discusses the SELECT trial, which examined the effect of age and lenvatinib treatment on overall survival (OS) for patients with 131I-refractory differentiated thyroid cancer.

Matthew H. Taylor, MD, Oregon Health and Science University, discusses the efficacy and safety of lenvatinib for the treatment of patients with 131I-refractory differentiated thyroid cancer with and without prior VEGF-targeted therapy.

The addition of everolimus to sorafenib extended progression-free survival (PFS) in patients with metastatic differentiated thyroid carcinoma (DTC) that had progressed on sorafenib alone, according to findings from a single-arm open-label phase II study.

Marcia S. Brose, MD, PhD, associate professor of Otorhinolaryngology: Head and Neck Surgery at the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania, discusses the effect of age and lenvatinib treatment on overall survival for patients with 131I-refractory differentiated thyroid cancer in the SELECT trial.

Patients of all ages with iodine-refractory thyroid cancer lived significantly longer when treated with the targeted agent lenvatinib, a new analysis of a randomized trial showed.

Despite their promise, checkpoint inhibitors are not effective in every patient, and research suggests the STING (stimulator of interferon genes) pathway may hold important clues as to why some tumors fail to respond.

Jennifer H. Kuo, MD, director, Thyroid Biopsy Program, Columbia University, discusses a study looking at the incidence of thyroid cancer among breast cancer survivors.

Growth in healthcare spending in the United States continues to outpace growth in European countries that enjoy a similar standard of living.

Lori J. Wirth, MD, discusses an open-label extension of the phase III SELECT trial, which looked at lenvatinib versus placebo for differentiated thyroid cancer.

Steven I. Sherman, MD, discusses the relationship between thyroid-stimulating hormone levels and outcomes from the phase III SELECT trial.

On February 13, 2015, the FDA approved lenvatinib for treatment of locally recurrent or metastatic differentiated thyroid cancer that is refractory to radioactive iodine therapy.

Frances Carr, PhD, professor, Department of Pharmacology, The University of Vermont, discusses the relationship between the thyroid hormone receptor and Runx2 expression in thyroid cancer cells.

According to a recent descriptive analysis of the VA Corporate Data Warehouse, veterans who reported Agent Orange exposure had higher rates of thyroid cancer compared to the overall national VA health care patient population.

The incidence of thyroid cancer, which is now the most rapidly increasing endocrine malignancy, has been increasing at a rate of 3% to 5% per year, resulting in a near doubling in the past 30 years.

R. Michael Tuttle, MD, discusses a study that looked at augmenting pre-operative risk of recurrence stratification in differentiated thyroid carcinoma.

Tyrosine-kinase inhibitors (TKIs) are a mainstay of therapy for patients with advanced thyroid cancer, more than doubling progression-free survival.

Patients with a history of breast cancer have a higher risk of developing thyroid cancer than do the general population, particularly if they receive adjuvant radiation therapy.

The FDA has approved lenvatinib (Lenvima) as a treatment for patients with progressive, radioactive iodine (RAI)-refractory differentiated thyroid cancer (DTC).

An international team of scientists has shed additional light on the important role of Yes-associated protein (YAP) in tumor development and in treatment response.

Representatives Diana DeGette (D, Colorado) and Fred Upton (R, Michigan) recently released a "discussion draft" of the 21st Century Cures Act.

TKIs have been an invaluable addition to the treatment of thyroid cancers, including medullary thyroid cancer, but adverse events must be effectively monitored and managed.

Advances in molecular testing have enabled families of those with thyroid cancers to determine whether or not they may be at increased risk for developing thyroid cancer.

With appropriate treatment, individuals with thyroid cancer have good odds for survival—the 5-year survival rate is 98%. Many factors influence the risk of survival after thyroid cancer is diagnosed.

Carrie C. Lubitz, MD, MPH, assistant professor, Massachusetts General Hospital, discusses the diagnosis of thyroid cancer.

Metastatic disease accounts for the vast majority of cancer-related deaths. Ensuring a definitive diagnosis and the most effective treatment in a timely fashion is essential for extending life expectancy.

Each year approximately 63,000 persons in the US will be diagnosed with thyroid cancer, placing it among the top 10 most common cancers in the country.

Keith C. Bible, MD, PhD, professor of oncology, Mayo Clinic, discusses the challenges associated with treating patients with follicular cell-derived thyroid carcinoma.

Lily Kwatampora, MD, discusses the relationship between body composition and targeted therapies in patients with thyroid cancer.