Clinical outcomes in older adults with advanced thyroid cancer

Age is a prognostic factor in thyroid cancer. However, little is known about benefits and risks of systemic therapy in older adults with advanced thyroid cancer.

We performed a retrospective review of patients ≥ 65 years of age with advanced thyroid cancer referred to medical oncology at our institution for consideration of systemic therapy between 2010 and 2025 (n = 114). Clinicopathologic, treatment, adverse event, and outcomes data were analyzed.

65/114 patients received first-line systemic therapy. Median overall survival (OS) was 4.04 years (95% CI, 3.09-not estimable) in the whole cohort and 3.91 years (95% CI, 2.84-not estimable) in the treated cohort. First-line time-to-treatment discontinuation (TTD) in the treated cohort was 1.59 years (95% CI, 0.75-4.45). Age, male sex, and anaplastic histology predicted shorter OS in the whole cohort. Age, male sex, increasing Charlson comorbidity index, and BRAF and/or TERT mutation predicted worse OS and/or TTD amongst treated patients. For patients receiving lenvatinib (n = 37), adverse events led to significant proportions of patients requiring dose reductions (65%), treatment breaks (78%), emergency department (ED) visits (16%), and drug discontinuation (14%). Adverse events led to treatment breaks (56%), ED visits (67%), and drug discontinuation (22%) in patients receiving dabrafenib + trametinib (n = 9). Female sex, geriatric oncology referral, polypharmacy, and BRAF mutation predicted higher number of ED visits.

Although survival outcomes were comparable to those described in younger adults, adverse events were common and impactful in older adults.