pyrimidinones and Thyroid-Carcinoma--Anaplastic

Anaplastic thyroid carcinoma (ATC) is a highly aggressive, undifferentiated rare tumor. Median overall survival is usually between 8 and10 months, with a 1-year survival rate of 20%. Conventional anthracycline based chemotherapy regimens demonstrate low response rates with short duration. Novel therapeutic agents including BRAF and MEK inhibitors based on the molecular landscape of ATC have been investigated.. We herein report the rechallenge of a 52-year-old ATC patient with BRAF V600E mutation with dabrafenib plus trametinib. She presented with recurrent and progressive disease despite surgery, radiation therapy, 3 different chemotherapy regimens, and combination of dabrafenib-trametinib in different settings. She was rechallenged with dabrafenib-trametinib, and had a good response.. To our knowledge, this is the first ATC case who responded to dabrafenib-trametinib rechallenge, reported in the literature. We want to emphasize that combination of dabrafenib and trametinib might be a good choice for resistant locoregional and metastatic ATC patients with BRAF V600E mutation, particularly in whom rapid clinical response is urgently needed. Moreover, rechallenge with this combination should be kept in mind in selected cases.

Topics: Antineoplastic Agents; Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols; Female; Humans; Imidazoles; Middle Aged; Neoplasm Recurrence, Local; Oximes; Proto-Oncogene Proteins B-raf; Pyridones; Pyrimidinones; Thyroid Carcinoma, Anaplastic; Thyroid Neoplasms; Treatment Outcome

Combined therapy with dabrafenib plus trametinib was approved in several countries for treatment of BRAF V600E-mutant anaplastic thyroid cancer (ATC) based on an earlier interim analysis of 23 response-assessable patients in the ATC cohort of the phase II Rare Oncology Agnostic Research (ROAR) basket study. We report an updated analysis describing the efficacy and safety of dabrafenib plus trametinib in the full ROAR ATC cohort of 36 patients with ∼4 years of additional study follow-up.. ROAR (NCT02034110) is an open-label, nonrandomized, phase II basket study evaluating dabrafenib plus trametinib in BRAF V600E-mutant rare cancers. The ATC cohort comprised 36 patients with unresectable or metastatic ATC who received dabrafenib 150 mg twice daily plus trametinib 2 mg once daily orally until disease progression, unacceptable toxicity, or death. The primary endpoint was investigator-assessed overall response rate (ORR) per Response Evaluation Criteria in Solid Tumors version 1.1. Secondary endpoints were duration of response (DOR), progression-free survival (PFS), overall survival (OS), and safety.. At data cutoff (14 September 2020), median follow-up was 11.1 months (range, 0.9-76.6 months). The investigator-assessed ORR was 56% (95% confidence interval, 38.1% to 72.1%), including three complete responses; the 12-month DOR rate was 50%. Median PFS and OS were 6.7 and 14.5 months, respectively. The respective 12-month PFS and OS rates were 43.2% and 51.7%, and the 24-month OS rate was 31.5%. No new safety signals were identified with additional follow-up, and adverse events were consistent with the established tolerability of dabrafenib plus trametinib.. These updated results confirm the substantial clinical benefit and manageable toxicity of dabrafenib plus trametinib in BRAF V600E-mutant ATC. Dabrafenib plus trametinib notably improved long-term survival and represents a meaningful treatment option for this rare, aggressive cancer.

Topics: Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols; Humans; Imidazoles; Mutation; Oximes; Proto-Oncogene Proteins B-raf; Pyridones; Pyrimidinones; Thyroid Carcinoma, Anaplastic; Thyroid Neoplasms

Purpose We report the efficacy and safety of dabrafenib (BRAF inhibitor) and trametinib (MEK inhibitor) combination therapy in BRAF V600E-mutated anaplastic thyroid cancer, a rare, aggressive, and highly lethal malignancy with poor patient outcomes and no systemic therapies with clinical benefit. Methods In this phase II, open-label trial, patients with predefined BRAF V600E-mutated malignancies received dabrafenib 150 mg twice daily and trametinib 2 mg once daily until unacceptable toxicity, disease progression, or death. The primary end point was investigator-assessed overall response rate. Secondary end points included duration of response, progression-free survival, overall survival, and safety. Results Sixteen patients with BRAF V600E-mutated anaplastic thyroid cancer were evaluable (median follow-up, 47 weeks; range, 4 to 120 weeks). All patients had received prior radiation treatment and/or surgery, and six had received prior systemic therapy. The confirmed overall response rate was 69% (11 of 16; 95% CI, 41% to 89%), with seven ongoing responses. Median duration of response, progression-free survival, and overall survival were not reached as a result of a lack of events, with 12-month estimates of 90%, 79%, and 80%, respectively. The safety population was composed of 100 patients who were enrolled with seven rare tumor histologies. Common adverse events were fatigue (38%), pyrexia (37%), and nausea (35%). No new safety signals were detected. Conclusion Dabrafenib plus trametinib is the first regimen demonstrated to have robust clinical activity in BRAF V600E-mutated anaplastic thyroid cancer and was well tolerated. These findings represent a meaningful therapeutic advance for this orphan disease.

Topics: Adolescent; Adult; Aged; Aged, 80 and over; Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols; Disease-Free Survival; Fatigue; Female; Fever; Humans; Imidazoles; Male; Middle Aged; Mutation; Nausea; Neoplasm Metastasis; Oximes; Proto-Oncogene Proteins B-raf; Pyridones; Pyrimidinones; Thyroid Carcinoma, Anaplastic; Young Adult

Recently, targeted therapies using BRAFV600E and MEK inhibitors (dabrafenib and trametinib, respectively) have been recommended in BRAF-mutated anaplastic thyroid carcinoma (ATC). Considering the fast development of ATC, droplet digital PCR (ddPCR) performed on fine-needle aspirate (FNA), which is a rapid, reliable, and low-cost method, appears interesting for the detection of BRAFV600E mutation in these patients and allows early initiation of targeted therapies.. In our two patients, both presenting extensive cervical masses inaccessible to surgery, ddPCR results were available in less than 24 h. Therefore, dabrafenib and trametinib were started only a few days after first contact.. We suggest that ddPCR on FNA be used in non-resectable cervical masses for rapid BRAFV600E mutation detection in the hope that starting targeted therapies early might improve outcomes.

Topics: Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols; Humans; Imidazoles; Mutation; Oximes; Polymerase Chain Reaction; Proto-Oncogene Proteins B-raf; Pyridones; Pyrimidinones; Thyroid Carcinoma, Anaplastic; Thyroid Neoplasms

Anaplastic thyroid carcinoma is the rarest tumor of the thyroid gland, representing less than 2% of clinically recognized thyroid cancers. Typically, it has an extremely rapid onset, fatal outcomes in most cases, and a median overall survival of 3 to 10 months despite aggressive multidisciplinary management. The presence of targetable mutations in anaplastic thyroid carcinoma patients is an opportunity for treatment when conventional therapeutics approaches are not effective, a frequent situation in the majority of patients. We present our experience in the management of a patient with unresectable anaplastic thyroid cancer who had a remarkable and rapid response to treatment with dabrafenib and trametinib during the COVID-19 pandemic. After four weeks of dabrafenib 150 mg twice daily plus trametinib 2 mg daily, he showed a dramatic reduction of the cervical mass around 90%. Nearly eight weeks under treatment with dabrafenib plus trametinib, the patient remains with minimal locoregional disease without distant metastases.

Topics: Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols; COVID-19; Humans; Imidazoles; Male; Mutation; Oximes; Pandemics; Proto-Oncogene Proteins B-raf; Pyridones; Pyrimidinones; SARS-CoV-2; Thyroid Carcinoma, Anaplastic; Thyroid Neoplasms

Wee1 is a kinase that regulates the G2/M progression by the inhibition of CDK1, which is critical for ensuring DNA damage repair before initiation of mitotic entry. Targeting Wee1 may be a potential strategy in the treatment of anaplastic thyroid cancer, a rare but lethal disease. The therapeutic effects of adavosertib, a Wee1 inhibitor for anaplastic thyroid cancer was evaluated in this study. Adavosertib inhibited cell growth in three anaplastic thyroid cancer cell lines in a dose-dependent manner. Cell cycle analysis revealed cells were accumulated in the G2/M phase. Adavosertib induced caspase-3 activity and led to apoptosis. Adavosertib monotherapy showed significant retardation of the growth of two anaplastic thyroid cancer tumor models. The combination of adavosertib with dabrafenib and trametinib revealed strong synergism in vitro and demonstrated robust suppression of tumor growth in vivo in anaplastic thyroid cancer xenograft models with BRAFV600E mutation. The combination of adavosertib with either sorafenib or lenvatinib also demonstrated synergism in vitro and had strong inhibition of tumor growth in vivo in an anaplastic thyroid cancer xenograft model. No appreciable toxicity appeared in mice treated with either a single agent or combination treatment. Our findings suggest adavosertib holds the promise for the treatment of patients with anaplastic thyroid cancer.

Topics: Animals; Cell Line, Tumor; Humans; Mice; Pyrazoles; Pyrimidinones; Sorafenib; Thyroid Carcinoma, Anaplastic; Thyroid Neoplasms

Anaplastic thyroid cancer (ATC) has dismal prognosis and there is no effective treatment. We aimed to evaluate the efficacy of tyrosine kinase inhibitor (TKI) therapy in real-world clinic and to suggest the most effective treatment modality according to the combination of treatments.. This retrospective study evaluated clinical outcomes and cause of death with multimodal treatments in patients with ATC at Samsung Medical Center.. A total of 120 patients received anti-cancer treatment for ATC. Seventy-seven (64.2%) patients underwent surgery, 64 (53.3%) received radiotherapy, 29 (24.2%) received cytotoxic chemotherapy, and 19 (15.8%) received TKI therapy. In the TKI therapy group, eight achieved partial response (three with lenvatinib and five with dabrafenib plus trametinib), and two patients with lenvatinib showed stable disease. Median progression-free survival (PFS) of the TKI therapy group was 2.7 months (range: 0.1-12.7) and their median overall survival (OS) was 12.4 months (range: 1.7-47.7). Patients who received surgery or radiotherapy for local control showed superior OS than those who did not. In a multivariate analysis, surgery, TKI therapy, younger age, and no distant metastasis were associated with favorable OS. The combination of surgery, radiotherapy, and TKI therapy (median OS: 34.3 months, 6-month survival rates: 77.8%) was the most effective. Compared to the era without TKI therapy, distant metastasis has recently become the major cause of death in ATC over airway problems.. Multimodality treatment including TKI therapy demonstrated prolonged survival with dabrafenib plus trametinib as the most effective therapeutic option demonstrated for BRAF mutant ATC patients.

Topics: Age Factors; Aged; Antineoplastic Agents; Combined Modality Therapy; Female; Humans; Imidazoles; Male; Middle Aged; Oximes; Phenylurea Compounds; Prognosis; Protein Kinase Inhibitors; Pyridones; Pyrimidinones; Quinolines; Retrospective Studies; Thyroid Carcinoma, Anaplastic; Thyroid Neoplasms; Treatment Outcome

Topics: Humans; Imidazoles; Neoadjuvant Therapy; Oximes; Proto-Oncogene Proteins B-raf; Pyridones; Pyrimidinones; Thyroid Carcinoma, Anaplastic; Thyroid Neoplasms

Topics: Aged; Antibodies, Monoclonal, Humanized; Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols; Chemoradiotherapy, Adjuvant; Disease-Free Survival; Female; Humans; Imidazoles; Male; Middle Aged; Mutation; Neck Dissection; Neoadjuvant Therapy; Neoplasm Recurrence, Local; Neoplasm Staging; Oximes; Proto-Oncogene Proteins B-raf; Pyridones; Pyrimidinones; Survival; Thyroid Carcinoma, Anaplastic; Thyroid Neoplasms; Thyroidectomy

Patients with anaplastic thyroid cancer (ATC) have a dismal prognosis, despite systemic cytotoxic chemotherapy. The objective of this study was to investigate the efficacy and safety of targeted therapy in ATC patients when used outside of a clinical trial.. This is a retrospective review from April 2015 to May 2016 at a single academic institution where 16 ATC patients receiving targeted therapy outside of a clinical trial were studied. Ten patients (eight BRAF wild type and two BRAF. The majority of patients (63%) were men, and all had distant metastases or radiation-resistant primary disease at the time of treatment. In the entire cohort, 6/16 (38%) had a partial response, 6/16 (38%) had stable disease, and 2/16 (12%) had progressive disease. Two (12%) patients died before restaging. Median follow-up time was 11.8 months. Median progression-free survival was 3.7 months [confidence interval 1.8-7.6] in the entire cohort, 2.7 months for lenvatinib, and 5.2 months for dabrafenib plus trametinib. Median OS was 6.3 months [confidence interval 1.8-7.6] for the entire cohort, 3.9 months for lenvatinib, and 9.3 months for dabrafenib plus trametinib. Adverse events were as expected and manageable.. Targeted therapies, lenvatinib, and dabrafenib plus trametinib (for BRAF

Topics: Aged; Aged, 80 and over; Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols; Female; Humans; Imidazoles; Male; Middle Aged; Mutation; Oximes; Phenylurea Compounds; Prognosis; Progression-Free Survival; Proto-Oncogene Proteins B-raf; Pyridones; Pyrimidinones; Quinolines; Retrospective Studies; Thyroid Carcinoma, Anaplastic; Thyroid Neoplasms; Treatment Outcome

Anaplastic thyroid cancer (ATC) is a rare malignancy that progresses extremely aggressively and often results in dismal prognosis. We investigated the efficacy of inhibiting the activated RAS/RAF/MEK pathway in ATC cells aiming to clarify the mechanism of effect and resistance. Four human ATC cell lines (ACT-1, OCUT-2, OCUT-4 and OCUT-6) were used. OCUT-4 had a BRAF mutation. OCUT-2 had both BRAF and PI3KCA mutations. ACT-1 and OCUT-6 had wild-type BRAF and NRAS mutations. The effects of dabrafenib, a selective inhibitor of the BRAFV600E kinase, and trametinib, a reversible inhibitor of MEK activity, were investigated. Dabrafenib strongly inhibited the viability in BRAF mutated cells by demonstrating G0/G1-arrest via the downregulation of MEK/ERK phosphorylation. Upregulated phosphorylation of MEK was observed in RAS mutated cells after dabrafenib treatment and caused VEGF upregulation, but was not related to the cellular proliferation. Trametinib inhibited the cellular viability to variable degrees in every cell by downregulating ERK phosphorylation. Dual blockade by both inhibitors demonstrated clear cytostatic effect in all the cells. OCUT-4 showed the weakest sensitivity to trametinib, no additional effect of either inhibitor in combination with the other, and an increase of SNAI1 mRNA expression after treatment with inhibitors, suggesting a mechanism for resistance. Our findings demonstrated the efficacy of a mutation-selective BRAF inhibitor and a MEK inhibitor in human ATC cells in a genetic alteration-specific manner.

Topics: Antineoplastic Agents; Cell Line, Tumor; Cell Survival; G1 Phase Cell Cycle Checkpoints; GTP Phosphohydrolases; Humans; Imidazoles; MAP Kinase Kinase 1; Membrane Proteins; Nuclear Proteins; Oximes; Phosphorylation; Protein Kinase Inhibitors; Proto-Oncogene Proteins B-raf; Pyridones; Pyrimidinones; RNA, Messenger; Snail Family Transcription Factors; Thyroid Carcinoma, Anaplastic; Transcription Factors; Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A