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Sunitinib in the Treatment of Thyroid Cancer

Silvia Martina Ferrari1, Marco Centanni2, Camilla Virili2

  • 1Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, University of Pisa, Via Savi, 10, I-56126, Pisa, Italy.

Current Medicinal Chemistry
|October 10, 2017
PubMed
Abstract

Insights

Sunitinib, a multi-target tyrosine kinase inhibitor, shows promise in treating advanced thyroid cancers by inhibiting tumor growth and vascularization. Further phase III studies are needed to confirm its efficacy in aggressive thyroid cancer.

Area of Science:

  • Oncology
  • Pharmacology
  • Molecular Biology

Background:

  • Sunitinib is an oral multi-target tyrosine kinase inhibitor (TKI) targeting PDGF-Rs, VEGFRs, c-KIT, FLT3, and RET.
  • It reduces tumor vascularization and induces apoptosis, leading to tumor shrinkage.
  • Approved for imatinib-resistant GIST, renal carcinoma, and pancreatic neuroendocrine tumors.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To review the efficacy and safety of sunitinib in treating various thyroid cancers.
  • To evaluate sunitinib's potential in advanced dedifferentiated thyroid cancer (DeTC) and medullary thyroid cancer (MTC).

Main Methods:

  • Literature search conducted on the PubMed database.
  • In vitro and in vivo studies were reviewed.
  • Clinical studies on sunitinib in thyroid cancer patients were analyzed.

Main Results:

  • Sunitinib inhibits proliferation and stimulates sodium/iodide symporter (NIS) gene expression in RET/PTC1 cells.
  • It is active against anaplastic thyroid cancer (ATC) cells in vitro and in vivo.
  • Sunitinib is effective as first- and second-line TKI therapy in advanced DeTC and MTC, and is well-tolerated.

Conclusions:

  • Sunitinib demonstrates promise for differentiated thyroid carcinoma (DTC) therapy.
  • No phase III studies have been published to date.
  • Further prospective research is required to ascertain sunitinib's true efficacy in aggressive thyroid cancer.
Keywords:
Sunitinibanaplastic thyroid cancerfollicular thyroid cancermedullary thyroid cancerpapillary thyroid cancerthyroidtyrosine kinase.

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