A Novel Multimodal Therapy for Anaplastic Thyroid Carcinoma: I Seed Implantation Plus Apatinib After Surgery

Area of Science:

• Oncology
• Endocrinology

Background:

• Anaplastic thyroid cancer (ATC) is a rare but highly lethal endocrine malignancy with a poor prognosis.
• Multimodal therapeutic strategies are crucial for managing advanced ATC due to limited treatment options and rapid progression.

Observation:

• A 49-year-old woman diagnosed with anaplastic thyroid cancer received combined treatment with iodine-125 (¹²⁵I) seed implantation and apatinib, a vascular endothelial growth factor receptor-2 (VEGFR-2) inhibitor.
• The patient underwent two sessions of ¹²⁵I seed implantation concurrently with apatinib administration.

Findings:

• The combined therapy led to significant tumor size reduction in the patient.
• Following a 13-month follow-up, the patient exhibited stable disease, indicating a positive therapeutic response.

Implications:

• ¹²⁵I seed implantation combined with apatinib demonstrates potential as an effective treatment for inoperable anaplastic thyroid cancer.
• This case supports further investigation into combined-modality treatments for improving outcomes in patients with advanced ATC.