New approaches for patients with advanced radioiodine-refractory thyroid cancer

摘要

The cumulative evidence over the past decades has shown that the incidence of differentiated thyroid carcinoma(DTC)has exponentially increased.Approximately 10%of patients with DTC exhibit recurrent or metastatic disease,and about two-thirds of the latter will be defined as refractory to radioactive iodine(RAIR)treatment.Since this condition implies 10-year survival rates less than 10% after detection,using available treatments,such as systemic and targeted therapies,have become increasingly relevant.The initiation of these treatments aims to reach stabilization,tumor volume reduction,and/or symptom improvement and it should be decided by highly specialized endocrinologists/oncologists on the basis of patient’s features.Considering that despite enlarged progression-free survival was proven,multikinase inhibitors remain non-curative,their benefits last for a limited time and the side effects potentially cause harm and quality of life reduction.In this context,molecular testing of cancer cells provides a promising spectrum of targeted therapies that offer increased compatibility with individual patient needs by improving efficacy,progression free survival,overall survival and adverse events profile.This review article aims to provide a summary of the current therapeutic strategies in advanced RAIR-DTC,including approved target therapies as well as those for off-label use,RAI resensitization agents,and immunotherapy.