Prolonged Survival in Anaplastic Thyroid Cancer: Insights From Multi-Modal Treatment.

Area of Science:

• Oncology
• Thyroid Cancer Research
• Cancer Therapeutics

Background:

• Anaplastic thyroid cancer (ATC) is a rare, aggressive malignancy with limited therapeutic options and poor prognosis.
• Effective treatment strategies for locally advanced or metastatic ATC are urgently needed.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the efficacy of pembrolizumab and lenvatinib in patients with locally advanced or metastatic ATC.
• To assess the impact of BRAF mutation status on treatment outcomes in ATC.

Main Methods:

• Retrospective review of 16 ATC patients treated at two Australian tertiary hospitals (January 2018 - June 2024).
• Analysis of clinical data including treatment regimens, objective response rates (RECIST 1.1), progression-free survival (PFS), and overall survival (OS).

Main Results:

• Pembrolizumab and lenvatinib demonstrated a 75% objective response rate in BRAF wildtype ATC patients (1L and 2L settings).
• BRAFV600E-mutated ATC patients treated with dabrafenib/trametinib achieved a 75% objective response rate.
• Higher Programmed death-ligand 1 (PD-L1) expression correlated with improved outcomes.

Conclusions:

• Systemic therapies, including pembrolizumab/lenvatinib, offer promising outcomes for ATC.
• The small sample size necessitates further research and collaboration to enhance clinical management of ATC.