Recent advances and emerging therapies in anaplastic thyroid carcinoma

F1000Res. 2018 Jan 18:7:F1000 Faculty Rev-87. doi: 10.12688/f1000research.13124.1. eCollection 2018.

Abstract

Anaplastic thyroid cancer is a rare and aggressive thyroid cancer with an overall survival measured in months. Because of this poor prognosis and often advanced age at presentation, these patients have traditionally been treated palliatively and referred for hospice. However, recent progress using novel therapies has energized the field, and several promising clinical trials are now available for these patients. This review will highlight this progress and the potential treatments that could pave the way to improved outcomes and quality of life for patients with this disease.

Keywords: BRAF; NTRK; anaplastic thyroid cancer; chemotherapy; dabrafenib; dedifferentiated; sarcomatoid; squamous; targeted therapy; trametinib; undifferentiated; vemurafenib.

Publication types

  • Review

Grants and funding

The author(s) declared that no grants were involved in supporting this work.