Immunotherapy May Be Effective for Advanced Thyroid Cancer

Article

Pembrolizumab found to prevent disease progression in 54.5% of patients with advanced thyroid cancer.

Findings from a recent study show that the immunotherapy pembrolizumab can potentially treat advanced thyroid cancer that did not respond to radioactive iodine (RAI) therapy.

Immunotherapy offers benefits to patients in terms of side effects and long lasting disease control.

The study, presented at American Society of Clinical Oncology Annual Meeting, included 22 patients with advanced or metastatic papillary or follicular thyroid cancer who did not respond to standard treatment. Patients were treated with 10 mg of pembrolizumab every 2 weeks for 24 months or progression of the disease or toxicity.

Safety, tolerability, and response were assessed every 8 weeks for the first 6 months and every 12 weeks after that point.

Researchers found that 2 patients who completed the treatment had partial response rate and 54.5% of patients did not progress. The 6-month survival was 100% and the 6-month progression free survival rate was 58.7%.

Researchers found that the drug showed promising antitumor activity in these patients. An ongoing follow-up phase 2 clinical trial is aimed at discovering biomarkers that predict response to this drug.

Related Videos
Team of care workers with women at the center -- Image credit: Delmaine Donson/peopleimages.com | stock.adobe.com
Image Credit: SciePro - stock.adobe.com
Pharmacist selling medications in the pharmacy | Image Credit: rh2010 - stock.adobe.com
Atopic dermatitis on a patient's hand -- Image credit: Ольга Тернавская | stock.adobe.com
biosimilar word or concept represented by wooden letter tiles on a wooden table with glasses and a book | Image Credit: lexiconimages - stock.adobe.com
Image credit: alicja neumiler | stock.adobe.com
Laboratory test tubes and solution with stethoscope background | Image Credit: Shutter2U - stock.adobe.com
© 2024 MJH Life Sciences

All rights reserved.