Apatinib-treated advanced medullary thyroid carcinoma: a case report

Area of Science:

• Oncology
• Pharmacology

Background:

• Medullary thyroid carcinoma (MTC) is a rare thyroid cancer with limited treatment options for advanced stages.
• Standard therapies like radiotherapy and chemotherapy lack durable efficacy in advanced MTC.
• Approved targeted therapies (vandetanib, cabozantinib) are often unaffordable in many regions.

Observation:

• A patient with advanced MTC and extensive metastasis, despite prior surgery, presented with elevated serum calcitonin and carcinoembryonic antigen.
• The patient received apatinib, a VEGFR-targeted tyrosine kinase inhibitor developed in China.
• Treatment involved daily oral administration of 500 mg apatinib, with dose adjustments based on tolerance.

Findings:

• After 16 weeks of apatinib treatment, the patient achieved a partial response.
• The partial response was sustained for over 9 weeks.
• No severe toxicities or drug-related side effects were reported during the treatment period.

Implications:

• Apatinib represents a potential new therapeutic option for advanced medullary thyroid carcinoma.
• This finding is particularly significant for patients in regions where other targeted therapies are inaccessible due to cost.
• Further investigation into apatinib's efficacy and safety in a broader MTC patient population is warranted.