Lenvatinib induces early tumor shrinkage in patients with advanced thyroid carcinoma

Early Structural, Biochemical, and Metabolic Responses to Anlotinib in Patients With Progressive Radioactive Iodine Refractory Differentiated Thyroid Cancer

OBJECTIVE

We aimed to assess the early efficacy of anlotinib in patients with progressive radioactive iodine refractory differentiated thyroid cancer at the structural, biochemical, and metabolic levels.

METHODS

Ten eligible patients were prospectively enrolled to receive anlotinib. Their responses were assessed at 6 weeks. Apart from the structural response according to Response Evaluation Criteria in Solid Tumors version 1.1, the biochemical response was assessed by serum thyroglobulin (Tg), and the metabolic response was assessed by 2-deoxy-2-[18F] fluoro-D-glucose positron emission tomography/computed tomography (18F-FDG PET/CT) according to the European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer criteria. A safety profile was recorded.

RESULTS

Structurally controlled disease (20% partial response + 80% stable disease) was observed in all patients. The median longest diameter of target lesions shrank from 20.8 mm (IQR, 14.9-27.5) to 17.0 mm (IQR, 14.1-23.7) (P < .001), and the average shrinkage rate was -15.1 ± 14.1%. Sharp serum Tg reduction by 72.8 ± 16.4% was observed in 8 measurable patients. The 18F-FDG PET/CT-mapped glucose metabolic response was not quite comparable to the structural response, with 90% of the patients having controlled disease (30% partial metabolic response + 60% stable metabolic disease), whereas 10% presented progressive metabolic disease. The most common treatment-emergent adverse events (AEs) were hypertension (100%) and proteinuria (70%). Most AEs were grade 1 or 2, whereas grade 3 AEs occurred only in hypertension.

CONCLUSION

Anlotinib is generally well tolerated and can bring early disease control within the initial 6 weeks of treatment. The sharp biochemical response suggests Tg to be an early sensitive biomarker to anlotinib, whereas the heterogeneous metabolic response might play a complementary role.

The importance of early-stage blood pressure control in thyroid cancer patients treated with lenvatinib from the perspective of dose intensity

PURPOSE

Lenvatinib (LEN) is a multikinase inhibitor that strongly inhibits tyrosine kinase receptors, especially VEGFR-2, which can cause hypertension, as well as strong tumor shrinkage. Though control of any side effects (SEs) is important for maintaining dose intensity (DI), hypertension is particularly important, because blood pressure (BP) can change quickly and respond to LEN administration and withdrawal, and it can be controlled with antihypertensive medications. Focusing on the early phase of treatment, the effect of BP 8 weeks after LEN initiation (BP8w) on DI at 8 weeks (DI8w) was investigated.

METHODS

The subjects were 85 thyroid cancer patients who started LEN at 24 mg/day and continued for ≥8 weeks. The BP at the start of LEN (BPbase), BP8w grade, and DI8w were examined.

RESULTS

Median (range) systolic BP changed significantly from BPbase of 117 (84-167) mmHg to BP8w of 134 (103-168) mmHg (p<0.001). Antihypertensive treatment at baseline, systolic BPbase, and male sex were related to higher DI8w on multivariate analysis. The median DI8w of the 23 patients who required dose modification due to hypertension was 20.2 mg/day (n=6) in grade 1, 15.8 mg/day (n=13) in grade 2, and 14.5 mg/day (n=4) in grade 3, showing a trend toward lower DI8w as the grade level increased.

CONCLUSION

LEN can increase BP by 20 mmHg at 8 weeks even with intensive antihypertensive management. Baseline antihypertensive treatment and BPbase can affect DI8w. A higher DI8w may be achieved by aiming for a low 8-week BP with more intensive antihypertensive therapy after LEN initiation.

Atezolizumab plus bevacizumab-induced intratumoral hemorrhage in a patient with rib metastasis from unresectable hepatocellular carcinoma

Recently, combination therapy with atezolizumab, a humanized monoclonal antiprogrammed death ligand-1 antibody, and bevacizumab, has become available for treatment of unresectable hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). We herein report a 73-year-old man with advanced stage HCC who developed fatigue during treatment with atezolizumab-bevacizumab combination therapy. Computed tomography identified intratumoral hemorrhage within the HCC metastasis to the right fifth rib metastasis of HCC, which was confirmed on emergency angiography of the right 4th and 5th intercostal arteries and some branches of the subclavian artery confirmed intratumoral hemorrhage, following which transcatheter arterial embolization (TAE) was performed to achieve hemostasis. He continued to receive atezolizumab-bevacizumab combination therapy after TAE, and no rebleeding was seen. Although uncommon, rupture and intratumoral hemorrhage in the HCC metastasis to the ribs can cause life-threatening hemothorax. However, to our knowledge, no previous cases of intratumoral hemorrhage in HCC during atezolizumab-bevacizumab combination therapy have been reported. This is the first report of intratumoral hemorrhage with the combination therapy of atezolizumab and bevacizumab, which was successfully controlled by TAE. Patients receiving this combination therapy should be observed for intratumoral hemorrhage, which can be managed by TAE if it does occur.

Personalized Medicine in Medullary Thyroid Carcinoma: A Broad Review of Emerging Treatments

Medullary thyroid carcinoma (MTC) arises from parafollicular cells in the thyroid gland, and although rare, it represents an aggressive type of thyroid cancer. MTC is recognized for its low mutational burden, with point mutations in RET or RAS genes being the most common oncogenic events. MTC can be resistant to cytotoxic chemotherapy, and multitarget kinase inhibitors (MKIs) have been considered a treatment option. They act by inhibiting the activities of specific tyrosine kinase receptors involved in tumor growth and angiogenesis. Several tyrosine kinase inhibitors are approved in the treatment of advanced MTC, including vandetanib and cabozantinib. However, due to the significant number of adverse events, debatable efficiency and resistance, there is a need for novel RET-specific TKIs. Newer RET-specific TKIs are expected to overcome previous limitations and improve patient outcomes. Herein, we aim to review MTC signaling pathways, the most recent options for treatment and the applications for personalized medicine.

Significance of Thyroglobulin Autoantibodies in Patients With Thyroid Cancer Treated With Lenvatinib

Context

Serum thyroglobulin (Tg) is a highly sensitive and specific tumor marker, employed in post-operative management of patients with differentiated thyroid carcinomas. Tumor shrinkage of radioiodine-refractory thyroid cancer (RAIR-DTC) treated with multitarget kinase inhibitors as lenvatinib, expressed according to the Response Evaluation Criteria in Solid Tumors (RECIST), is also associated with a drastic reduction of Tg levels. However, interference caused by circulating thyroglobulin autoantibodies (TgAb) represents the main limitation in the clinical use of Tg.

Objective

To evaluate if in RAIR-DTC TgAb could be considered a surrogate marker of Tg in monitoring response to treatment with lenvatinib.

Design

We retrospectively evaluated patients who had started lenvatinib and correlated serum Tg and TgAb with the radiological response across visits.

Setting

University of Pisa, Italy.

Patients

We selected 9/97 RAIR-DTC patients with detectable TgAb.

Intervention

None.

Main Outcome Measures

None.

Results

Tg values correlated neither with TgAb title nor with radiological response across visits. Greater decreases in TgAb titer correlated with favorable radiological response to lenvatinib after 1 month (Spearman's correlation = 0.74, P = .021) and 6 months (correlation = 0.61, P = .079). According to RECIST, patients with partial response showed a ∼10-fold greater decrease in TgAb compared to those with stable disease at 1 month (median TgAb decrease: -142 vs -14 IU/mL, P = .01) and those with progressive disease at 6 months (median TgAb decrease: -264 vs-24 IU/mL, P = .04).

Conclusion

TgAb evaluation may represent a reliable surrogate marker for Tg trend in evaluating response of RAIR-DTC to treatment with lenvatinib. A multicentric study would be useful to confirm our results.

Anti-Proliferative Effect of Radiotherapy and Implication of Immunotherapy in Anaplastic Thyroid Cancer Cells

Radiotherapy and immunotherapy have shown promising efficacy for the treatment of solid malignancies. Here, we aim to clarify the potential of a combined application of radiotherapy and programmed cell death-ligand 1 (PD-L1) monoclonal antibody atezolizumab in primary anaplastic thyroid cancer (ATC) cells. The radiation caused a significant reduction in cell proliferation, measured by luminescence, and of the number of colonies. The addition of atezolizumab caused a further reduction in cell proliferation of the irradiated ATC cells. However, the combined treatment did not cause either the exposure of the phosphatidylserine or the necrosis, assessed by luminescence/fluorescence. Additionally, a reduction in both uncleaved and cleaved forms of caspases 8 and 3 proteins was detectable in radiated cells. The DNA damage evidenced the over-expression of TP53, CDKN1A and CDKN1B transcripts detected by RT-qPCR and the increase in the protein level of P-γH2AX and the DNA repair deputed kinases. PD-L1 protein level increased in ATC cells after radiation. Radiotherapy caused the reduction in cell viability and an increase of PD-L1-expression, but not apoptotic cell death in ATC cells. The further combination with the immunotherapeutic atezolizumab could increase the efficacy of radiotherapy in terms of reduction in cell proliferation. Further analysis of the involvement of alternative cell death mechanisms is necessary to clarify their cell demise mechanism of action. Their efficacy represents a promising therapy for patients affected by ATC.

Successful dose escalation of lenvatinib for thyroid cancer after disease progression

PURPOSE

Lenvatinib is started at a standard dose, continuing with dose reduction and interruption, balancing between efficacy and adverse events (AEs). Because few drugs are available for thyroid cancer, efforts for continuing treatment with one agent, such as "dose escalation (DE)", are made. The dose is increased, aiming to regain the anti-tumor effect after dose reduction. The effects of lenvatinib DE in differentiated thyroid carcinoma (DTC) patients are reported.

PATIENTS AND METHODS

The efficacy of lenvatinib DE in DTC patients using the serum thyroglobulin (Tg) level and management of AEs was investigated.

RESULTS

A total of 70 DE episodes in 33 patients were investigated. The median increased dose was 2.0 (1.0-14.0) mg, increased from 8.6 (2-16) mg to 10.1 (6-24) mg. The serum Tg level decreased in 53 DE episodes. Though the serum Tg level in 17 DE episodes was not decreased, the Tg rate of increase was decreased in 7 of these DE episodes using the Tg-doubling rate. Overall, clinical benefit was seen in 60 (86%) DE episodes. AEs that could not be controlled after DEs were seen in only 16% of cases. No intolerable AEs were observed in patients who received more drug holidays at the time of DEs compared to two times before the DEs.

CONCLUSION

DE may become one of the standard treatment strategies after disease progression if AEs are well managed. Drug holidays may be a key for successfully controlling AEs with DE. DE can be useful for controlling progressive disease with increasing Tg levels.

The prognostic role of early tumor shrinkage in patients with hepatocellular carcinoma undergoing immunotherapy

Background

Early tumor shrinkage (ETS) has been identified as a promising imaging biomarker for patients undergoing immunotherapy for several cancer entities. This study aimed to validate the potential of ETS as an imaging biomarker for patients undergoing immunotherapy for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC).

Methods

We screened all patients with HCC that received immunotherapy as the first or subsequent line of treatment at our tertiary care center between 2016 and 2021. ETS was defined as the reduction in the sum of the sizes of target lesions, between the initial imaging and the first follow-up. The ETS was compared to the radiologic response, according to the modified response evaluation criteria in solid tumors (mRECIST). Furthermore, we evaluated the influence of ETS on overall survival (OS), progression-free survival (PFS), and the alpha-fetoprotein (AFP) response.

Results

The final analysis included 39 patients with available cross-sectional imaging acquired at the initiation of immunotherapy (baseline) and after 8–14 weeks. The median ETS was 5.4%. ETS was significantly correlated with the response according to mRECIST and with the AFP response. Patients with an ETS ≥10% had significantly longer survival times after the first follow-up, compared to patients with < 10% ETS (15.1 months vs. 4.0 months, p = 0.008). Additionally, patients with both an ETS ≥10% and disease control, according to mRECIST, also had significantly prolonged PFS times after the initial follow-up (23.6 months vs. 2.4 months, p < 0.001).

Conclusion

ETS was strongly associated with survival outcomes in patients with HCC undergoing immunotherapy. Thus, ETS is a readily assessable imaging biomarker that showed potential for facilitating a timely identification of patients with HCC that might benefit from immunotherapy.

Supplementary Information

The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s40644-022-00487-x.

2-[18F]FDG PET in the Management of Radioiodine Refractory Differentiated Thyroid Cancer in the Era of Thyrosin-Kinases Inhibitors: A Real-Life Retrospective Study

Purpose To evaluate the role of 2-[¹⁸F]FDGPET/CT in the follow-up of radioiodine refractory thyroid cancer (RR-TC). Methods Forty-six 2-[¹⁸F]FDGPET/CT scans from 14 RR-TC patients were considered. Thyroid function tests: thyroglobulin (Tg), levothyroxine (LT4), and tyrosine-kinases inhibitors (TKIs) assumptions were recorded. Metabolic tumour volume (MTV) and total lesion glycolysis (TLG) were calculated from each scan and correlated with clinical parameters and the overall survival (OS). Results Baseline TLG and MTV predicted OS (p = 0.027 and p = 0.035), and negative correlation with OS was also confirmed when the same parameters were measured in follow-up scans (p = 0.015 and p = 0.021). Tg also correlated with the OS; (p = 0.014; p = 0.019 and p = 0.009). However, TLG and MTV were not significantly correlated with Tg levels. MTV and TLG variation in time were reduced during TKI therapy (p = 0.045 and p = 0.013). Conclusions 2-[¹⁸F]FDGPET/CT confirmed its prognostic role at the first assessment and during the follow-up of RR-TC patients. 2-[¹⁸F]FDGPET/CT parameters seem at least partially independent from Tg. TKI therapy resulted in a measurable effect on the variation of 2-[¹⁸F]FDGPET/CT parameters over time.

Kinase-Inhibitors in Iodine-Refractory Differentiated Thyroid Cancer-Focus on Occurrence, Mechanisms, and Management of Treatment-Related Hypertension

Differentiated thyroid cancer (DTC) usually has a good prognosis when treated conventionally with thyroidectomy, radioactive iodine (RAI) and thyroid-stimulating hormone suppression, but some tumors develop a resistance to RAI therapy, requiring alternative treatments. Sorafenib, lenvatinib and cabozantinib are multikinase inhibitors (MKIs) approved for the treatment of RAI-refractory DTC. The drugs have been shown to improve progression-free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS) via the inhibition of different receptor tyrosine kinases (RTKs) that are involved in tumorigenesis and angiogenesis. Both sorafenib and lenvatinib have been approved irrespective of the line of therapy for the treatment of RAI-refractory DTC, whereas cabozantinib has only been approved as a second-line treatment. Adverse effects (AEs) such as hypertension are often seen with MKI treatment, but are generally well manageable. In this review, current clinical studies will be discussed, and the toxicity and safety of sorafenib, lenvatinib and cabozantinib treatment will be evaluated, with a focus on AE hypertension and its treatment options. In short, treatment-emergent hypertension (TE-HTN) occurs with all three drugs, but is usually well manageable and leads only to a few dose modifications or even discontinuations. This is emphasized by the fact that lenvatinib is widely considered the first-line drug of choice, despite its higher rate of TE-HTN.

Lenvatinib as a salvage therapy for advanced metastatic medullary thyroid cancer

PURPOSE

Patients with advanced progressive metastatic medullary thyroid cancer (MTC), show poor prognosis and few available systemic therapeutic options. After the loss of clinical benefit with other tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKI), we evaluated the use of lenvatinib as salvage therapy.

METHODS

Ten patients who experienced the loss of clinical benefit after treatment with at least one previous TKI, were treated with lenvatinib. We assessed patient's response immediately before, at the first (first-EV) and last (last-EV) evaluation, after the beginning of treatment.

RESULTS

At first-EV, one patient died, while all the remaining 9 showed a stable disease (SD) in the target lesions. At last-EV, SD was still observed in seven patients, while partial response (PR) and progressive disease (PD), in one patient each. Conversely, analyzing all target and non-target lesions, at first-EV, we observed PR in one patient and SD in eight patients. At last-EV, PR was shown in two patients and SD was shown in seven. Bone metastases showed stable disease control at both first-EV and last-EV in only approximately 60% of cases. Tumor markers (CTN and CEA) decreased at first-EV, while they increased at last-EV. Seven patients experienced at least one dose reduction during treatment with lenvatinib.

CONCLUSIONS

In this real-life clinical experience, lenvatinib showed interesting results as salvage therapy in patients with advanced progressive metastatic MTC patients. Its usefulness could be effective in patients without any other available treatment, because previously used or unsuitable, especially with negative RET status with no access to the new highly selective targeted therapies.

Lenvatinib-Induced Tumor-Related Hemorrhages in Patients with Large Hepatocellular Carcinomas

INTRODUCTION

Lenvatinib has been approved as a systemic therapy for patients with unresectable hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). We recently experienced lenvatinib-induced tumor-related hemorrhage in patients with HCC. The full details of tumor-related hemorrhage as a lenvatinib-related adverse event have not been elucidated.

METHODS

This was a retrospective single-center study that enrolled consecutive patients treated with lenvatinib for unresectable HCC from April 2018 to February 2020.

RESULTS

Sixty-eight consecutive patients were enrolled in this study. Among them, 5 cases developed intraperitoneal or intratumoral hemorrhages. The patients with hemorrhage had larger tumors (maximum tumor size, 97.5 ± 46.4 and 38.2 ± 28.8 mm, respectively; p = 0.009) than the patients without hemorrhage. The dosing period of lenvatinib (median, 3 and 93 days, respectively; p < 0.001) and the survival time from initial administration of lenvatinib (median, 77 and 495 days, respectively; p < 0.001) of the patients with hemorrhage were shorter than those of the patients without hemorrhage. Especially, in 4 cases with large HCCs (maximum tumor diameter was >90 mm), tumor hemorrhage with vascular lake-like phenomenon was evident, although most tumor blood flow was suppressed.

DISCUSSION/CONCLUSION

It becomes clear that lenvatinib treatment brings about tumor-related hemorrhages despite rapid suppression of tumor blood flow. We speculate that lenvatinib quickly blocks the feeding circulation, resulting in tumor hemorrhage by necrosis. Clinicians should pay careful attention to the development of life-threatening hemorrhages when treating large HCCs with lenvatinib.

Efficacy and Limitations of Lenvatinib Therapy for Radioiodine-Refractory Differentiated Thyroid Cancer: Real-World Experiences

Background: The ultimate clinical goal of advanced cancer treatment is improvement of survival. Tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs) were recently approved for radioiodine-refractory differentiated thyroid carcinoma (RR-DTC) that is resistant to conventional therapies since they have significant potential to improve survival in patients who previously had no more treatment strategies available. However, eligible patients are limited in clinical practice, making it difficult to accurately determine the efficacy of TKIs. Patients and Methods: We retrospectively analyzed the efficacy of lenvatinib at a single institution, enrolling 42 RR-DTC patients. Results: The best overall response was partial remission in 26 (62%) patients, stable disease in 10 (24%) patients, and progressive disease (PD) in 6 (14%) patients. The results indicated three-year overall survival (OS) and progression-free survival rates of 51.0% and 32.4%, respectively. Twenty-three (55%) patients had backgrounds that did not match the inclusion criteria of the Study of (E7080) Lenvatinib in Differentiated Cancer of the Thyroid (SELECT) trial. Furthermore, PD-experienced patients individually decided whether to continue lenvatinib, and 17 (41%) made the decision themselves; these patients had a three-year OS of 43.0% and postprogression survival (PPS) of 13.3 [95% confidence interval 6.1-not reached] months. Conclusions: Our real-world investigation revealed that patients have wide-ranging background characteristics, and the decision regarding continuation of therapy after PD is based on the patient's general condition. Our management protocol resulted in good PPS. Furthermore, our results indicated equivalent efficacy of lenvatinib as in the SELECT trial. In conclusion, lenvatinib proved effective for RR-DTC patients in a real-world setting.

Real-World Data for Lenvatinib in Radioiodine-Refractory Differentiated Thyroid Cancer (RELEVANT): A Retrospective Multicentric Analysis of Clinical Practice in Austria

BACKGROUND

Lenvatinib has proven efficacy in progressive, radioiodine- (RAI-) refractory thyroid cancer (TC). Dose reductions are commonly performed due to decreased tolerability and adverse effects. This retrospective multicenter study analyzed overall survival (OS) and progression-free survival (PFS) and tolerability in the Austrian patient population treated with lenvatinib.

METHODS

Clinical data of 43 patients (25 males and 18 females) with a median age of 70 years (range: 39-91 years) and RAI-refractory TC with metastases to the lymph nodes (74%), lungs (86%), bone (35%), liver (16%), and brain (12%) were analyzed. The mean duration of treatment with lenvatinib was 26.6 ± 15.4 months with dosage reductions required in 39 patients (91%).

RESULTS

PFS after 24 months was 71% (95% CI: 56-87), and overall survival (OS) was 74% (95% CI: 60-88), respectively. OS was significantly shorter (p=0.048) in patients with a daily maintenance dosage ≤ 10 mg (63%) (95% CI: 39-86) as compared to patients on ≥ 14 mg lenvatinib (82%) (95% CI: 66-98) daily. Dose reduction was noted in 39 patients (91%). Grade ≥3 toxicities (hypertension, diarrhea, weight loss, and palmar-plantar erythrodysesthesia syndrome) were most common leading to discontinuation of lenvatinib in 7 patients (16%).

CONCLUSION

Lenvatinib showed sustained clinical efficacy in patients with metastatic RAI-refractory TC even with reduced maintenance dosages over years. The effects were comparable to the registration trial, although patients had a higher median age and, more commonly, dose reductions.

Stereotactic radiotherapy using the CyberKnife is effective for local control of bone metastases from differentiated thyroid cancer

Differentiated thyroid cancer (DTC) is associated with a good long-term prognosis, but bone metastases can adversely affect patients' quality of life and survival. Stereotactic radiotherapy (SRT) can deliver high-dose irradiation to target lesions and it has been reported to be useful for various cancers. However, few studies have examined the efficacy of SRT for thyroid cancer. In the present study, the aim was to investigate the efficacy of SRT using the CyberKnife for bone metastases from DTC. From September 2013 to April 2018, SRT with the CyberKnife system was used to treat 60 bone metastases from DTC in 13 patients. The patients' medical records were retrospectively reviewed to obtain information about the adverse events associated with SRT. Of the 60 lesions, 40 could be evaluated by follow-up CT for therapeutic effectiveness, and the RECIST criteria were used to assess the response. The cancers were papillary cancer in 3 patients, follicular cancer in 9 and poorly differentiated cancer in 1. SRT was delivered in 1-10 fractions, with a median dose of 27 Gy (range, 8-48 Gy). Adverse events were infrequent and mild. The median follow-up of the 40 lesions was 11 (range, 2-56) months. The responses were partial response in 2 lesions, stable disease in 37 lesions and progressive disease in 1 lesion, with a 1-year local control rate of 97.1%. The present study showed that SRT using the CyberKnife system was a feasible and effective treatment for bone metastases of DTC.

Tyrosine Kinase Inhibitor-Induced Hypertension: Role of Hypertension as a Biomarker in Cancer Treatment

:

Cancer treatment is an area of continuous improvement. Therapy is becoming more targeted and the use of anti-angiogenic agents in multiple cancers, specifically tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs), has demonstrated prolonged survival outcomes compared with previous drugs. Therefore, they have become a well-established part of the treatment.

:

Despite good results, there is a broad range of moderate to severe adverse effects associated with treatment. Hypertension (HTN) is one of the most frequent adverse effects and has been associated with favourable outcomes (in terms of cancer treatment) of TKI treatment.

:

High blood pressure is considered a class effect of TKI treatment, although the mechanisms have not been fully described. Three current hypotheses of TKI-associated HTN are highlighted in this narrative review. These include nitric oxide decrease, a change in endothelin-1 levels and capillary rarefaction.

:

Several studies have investigated HTN as a potential biomarker of TKI efficacy. HTN is easy to measure and adding this factor to prognostic models has been shown to improve specificity. HTN may become a potential biomarker in clinical practice involving treating advanced cancers. However, data are currently limited by the number of studies and knowledge of the mechanism of action.

Control of Lung Metastases and Colon Polyposis with Lenvatinib Therapy in a Patient with Cribriform-Morular Variant of Papillary Thyroid Carcinoma and an APC Gene Mutation: A Case Study

Background: The cribriform-morular variant (CMV) is a rare subtype of papillary thyroid carcinoma (PTC), and is often associated with familial adenomatous polyposis (FAP). This variant is generally indolent, but some aggressive cases have been reported. Patient Findings: We present the case of a 24-year-old woman who underwent total thyroidectomy with prophylactic central lymph node dissection and modified radical neck dissection for CMV-PTC. No distant metastases were identified preoperatively. However, multiple large lung metastases were detected three and half years after surgery. She also had FAP with a germline APC gene mutation. Summary: She was started on lenvatinib because of the metastatic disease. One month after the initiation of lenvatinib (24 mg), her lung metastases reduced significantly. She has continued lenvatinib for 24 months (present dose, 10 mg). The lung metastases have not progressed during this period. Only a few small polyps were newly detected on endoscopy after lenvatinib administration. This number was considerably higher before therapy, when an average of 21-75 polyps were resected at each endoscopy session. Conclusions: This is the first report of the use of lenvatinib for the treatment of distant metastases from CMV-PTC. In addition to the efficacy in treating metastatic lesions of this rare variant of PTC, lenvatinib shows promise in the management of associated FAP. This treatment strategy may be useful in the management of recurrent CMV-PTC and in those with FAP who refuse colectomy.

Surgery in the context of kinase inhibitor therapy for locally invasive thyroid cancer

Kinase inhibitors (KI) for advanced and aggressive forms of differentiated, medullary and anaplastic thyroid carcinoma have been shown to provide significant tumor response, locally and in distant metastases. Their use, however, may also increase the risk for local complications such as fistula formation and bleeding, and head and neck surgeons may be solicited to palliatively remove potentially dangerous lesions before initiating these systemic treatments. During KI therapy for progressive metastatic and/or locally invasive disease, surgery may be urgently necessary to secure the airway or for symptomatic neck lesions. Finally, there are more and more reports of surgery following KI therapy that suggest a new neoadjuvant paradigm for extensive lesions. In this review, we aim to discuss the literature regarding surgery before, during and after KI therapy in the context of progressive metastatic and/or locally invasive thyroid cancer.

Case report: lenvatinib in neoadjuvant setting in a patient affected by invasive poorly differentiated thyroid carcinoma

We report a case of an elderly woman presenting with a huge cervical mass invading the tracheal lumen. Diagnosed as invasive poorly differentiated thyroid cancer, after an endotracheal biopsy, stenting and radiotherapy, it was judged eligible for total thyroidectomy, but surgery was delayed due to pulmonary thromboembolism. The patient was therefore treated with lenvatinib with a neoadjuvant intent until hemodynamic stability was obtained. Thyroidectomy and radioiodine therapy were then performed and the postdose scan revealed an area of modest uptake in the anterior part of the neck. The patient is now in a good clinical status and she continues her follow-up program without any adjuvant therapy.

Analysis of response-related endpoints in trials of first-line medical treatment of metastatic colorectal cancer

BACKGROUND

Tumor radiologic response after systemic chemotherapy has been used as endpoint of trials of patients with metastatic colorectal cancer (mCRC), which can report the best overall response rate (ORR) and the disease control rate (DCR) by RECIST criteria as well as the early tumor shrinkage (ETS). The present study perform a trial-level analysis to verify whether such response-related endpoints are predictive of overall survival (OS).

METHODS

After a systematic search, randomized clinical trials (RCTs) were selected each time they evaluated the three response endpoints and progression-free survival (PFS). Two arms per trial were selected, and the correlation between the difference in each endpoint and the difference in OS was calculated. The analysis then evaluated the effects of treatment on ∆ORR, or ∆DCR, ∆ETS, ∆PFS, and on ∆OS, using separate linear regressions for each of them, and the proportion of variability explained (R²_trial) on OS for each of the four endpoints was calculated.

RESULTS

The systematic review of the literature led to the selection of 12 RCTs, 7 phase-3 and 5 phase-2. ETS reported a different performance in the entire sample compared to phase-3 trials (R²_trial = 0.172 vs. 0.842), differently from DCR (R²_trial = 0.541 vs. 0.816) and ORR (R²_trial = 0.349 vs. 0.740). Surprisingly, PFS predicted OS with a weak correlation, which was not significant in the subgroup of phase-3 studies (R²_trial = 0.455 vs. 0.466).

CONCLUSION

The results of the present trial-level analysis report a good performance of two response-related endpoints, DCR and ETS, and suggest that they could be differently used depending on the setting of disease and the type of medical treatment.

Usefulness of Stereotactic Radiotherapy Using the CyberKnife for Patients with Inoperable Locoregional Recurrences of Differentiated Thyroid Cancer

BACKGROUND

Surgical resection is the preferred treatment for locoregional recurrence of differentiated thyroid cancer (DTC). However, some recurrences are unresectable because of their aggressive invasion or severe adhesions. On the other hand, stereotactic radiotherapy (SRT) enables high-dose irradiation to target lesions, and its usefulness for various cancers has been reported. The objective of the present study was to investigate the feasibility and efficacy of SRT as salvage treatment for locoregional recurrence of DTC.

METHODS

Between August 2011 and December 2017, 52 locoregional recurrent lesions in 31 patients with recurrent DTC were treated by SRT using the CyberKnife system. Information on the adverse events associated with SRT was retrospectively collected from the patients' medical records. Of the 52 lesions, 33 could be evaluated for therapeutic effectiveness by follow-up CT, and response was assessed using the RECIST criteria.

RESULTS

Twenty-five patients had papillary carcinoma, 5 had follicular carcinoma, and 1 had poorly differentiated cancer. SRT was delivered in one to 20 fractions, and the median dose was 30 Gy (range 15-60 Gy). Adverse events were not frequent, but 1 patient developed bilateral vocal cord palsy that required emergent tracheostomy. The median follow-up period of 33 lesions was 14 months (range 1-54 months). Complete response, partial response, stable disease, and progressive disease were seen in 10, 11, 9, and 3 patients, respectively. The 3-year local control rate was 84.6%.

CONCLUSION

SRT using the CyberKnife system was found to be a feasible and effective treatment to suppress the growth of locoregional recurrence of DTC.

Response to Lenvatinib in Children with Papillary Thyroid Carcinoma

BACKGROUND

Papillary thyroid carcinoma (PTC) is the most common thyroid malignancy in children and adolescents. Infrequently, children with PTC may present with or develop disease not amenable to surgery or radioactive iodine (RAI), and systemic therapy may be an option. Lenvatinib is an oral tyrosine kinase inhibitor that is approved by the Food and Drug Administration for the treatment of adults with locally recurrent or metastatic, progressive, RAI-refractory well-differentiated thyroid carcinoma. The effect of lenvatinib in children with PTC has not been reported.

PATIENT FINDINGS

Three children with metastatic PTC not amenable or refractory to RAI who responded to lenvatinib are reported. All of them developed respiratory distress requiring oxygen caused by extensive bilateral metastatic pulmonary disease. The first patient is a 14-year-old female who was initially treated with sorafenib for extensive PTC not amenable to upfront surgery or RAI. She had progressive pulmonary disease after five months, and was subsequently treated with oral lenvatinib (14 mg/m²/day). She was weaned to room air after eight weeks. The second patient is a 15-year-old male who was treated with lenvatinib (14 mg/m²/day) for iodine non-avid diffuse pulmonary disease after initial total thyroidectomy and cervical lymph node dissection. He was weaned off oxygen in six weeks. The third patient is a five-year-old male who was treated with lenvatinib (14 mg/m²/day) for pulmonary disease progression 24 months after treatment with total thyroidectomy, cervical lymph node dissection, and RAI treatment. He was weaned off oxygen one day after starting lenvatinib. Two of the patients required dose adjustments secondary to proteinuria. Otherwise, all patients tolerated lenvatinib well. The first two patients remained clinically stable on lenvatinib 23 months and 11 months after initiation of therapy, respectively, and the third patient transitioned to a tumor-specific targeted therapy after one month.

SUMMARY

Three pediatric patients are reported with metastatic PTC not amenable or refractory to RAI who achieved a response on lenvatinib.

CONCLUSION

Lenvatinib therapy is well tolerated and demonstrated clinical activity in children with advanced PTC. Lenvatinib should be considered in children with PTC that is refractory or not amenable to conventional management.

Management of recurrent or metastatic thyroid cancer

Recently, vascular endothelial growth factor receptor (VEGFR)-targeted tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs) have become available for the treatment of recurrent or metastatic thyroid cancer. However, a number of clinical challenges that impact the use of VEGFR-targeted TKI in daily clinical practice have arisen. Toxicity is considerable, to the extent that most physicians hesitate to start VEGFR-targeted TKI and prefer to continue a watch-and-wait approach until the patient's disease markedly worsens. This delayed use of VEGFR-targeted TKI leads to a higher incidence of serious adverse events than was reported in clinical trials. Moreover, the watch-and-wait approach has several demerits, including a worsening of quality of life, worsening of outcomes in patients of older age or with follicular thyroid cancer and increased risk of brain metastasis or bleeding. Thus, optimal timing for the start of VEGFR-targeted TKI requires careful consideration. Moreover, management of VEGFR-targeted TKI toxicities requires appropriate supportive care, well-organised infrastructure in the outpatient clinic and patient education. Future treatment will progress to precision medicine based on molecular testing. Promotion of precision medicine requires the establishment of a system of easy access to molecular testing and the promotion of translational research for the development of new drugs.