Targeted therapy in thyroid cancer: molecular alterations and clinical management

This review summarizes key actionable molecular alterations in thyroid cancer and examines how molecular profiling can be translated into practical, subtype-specific targeted treatment strategies for advanced, recurrent, or radioiodine-refractory disease.

A narrative synthesis was performed using evidence from landmark clinical trials, current consensus guidelines, and representative translational studies on thyroid cancer drivers and targeted therapies. Molecular targets were categorized by signaling pathways and pathological subtypes (DTC, PTC/FTC, ATC/PDTC, and MTC), with emphasis on clinical indications, efficacy signals, and toxicity profiles.

The identification of specific genomic drivers, such as BRAF V600E, RET mutations/fusions, and NTRK fusions, has revolutionized the management of thyroid cancer. Precision highlights include the use of BRAF/MEK inhibitors in BRAF-mutant ATC and highly selective RET or TRK inhibitors for fusion-positive tumors. For cases lacking these specific markers, VEGFR-targeted multikinase inhibitors (e.g., lenvatinib) remains the standard of care for RAIR-DTC. Furthermore, "redifferentiation" therapies show promise in restoring radioiodine sensitivity, while emerging pathways like PI3K/AKT/mTOR and immune checkpoints offer new avenues for combination therapy to overcome treatment resistance.

The therapeutic paradigm in thyroid cancer is shifting from non-selective multikinase inhibition toward molecularly matched, combination-based, and adaptively sequenced strategies. Early and comprehensive genomic profiling-including fusion detection-is essential to optimize treatment selection, address resistance, and expand precision therapy options across disease subtypes.