Researchers from The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center demonstrated that anti-PD-L1 immunotherapy in combination with mutation -directed targeted therapy extended overall survival (OS) in patients with anaplastic thyroid carcinoma (ATC). Findings from the Phase II single center study published today in JAMA Oncology. The trial enrolled 42 patients across three cohorts to evaluate mutation-matched targeted therapy and the immune checkpoint inhibitor atezolizumab.
The median OS across all cohorts was 19 months, which compares favorably to historical OS of five months for patients with ATC. The longest OS among the cohorts was 43.2 months in patients with BRAFV600E mutations – the longest OS published to date for systematic therapy in ATC.
Patients with anaplastic thyroid carcinoma need treatments that work fast, and we saw promising results with this combination treatment approach. The takeaway from this study is that immunotherapy really does add benefit for patients. Based on these findings, we currently use this combination as our standard of care at MD Anderson for patients with ATC and BRAF mutations.
" Maria Cabanillas, M.D., principal investigator, professor of Endocrine Neoplasia & Hormonal Disorders Anaplastic thyroid carcinoma is a rare and highly aggressive malignant tumor with a very poor prognosis.
ATC often develops from differentiated thyroid cancer subtypes, such as papillary and follicular thyroid carcinoma, and each subtype has distinct driver mut.