Pharmacotherapy in Advanced Thyroid Cancer

PHARMACOTHERAPY IN ADVANCED THYROID CANCER (Abstract): Thyroid cancers are the most common carcinomas of the endocrine system. Their behavior depends of histology, extension of the disease and patients-related factors. Differentiated thyroid cancers arising from follicular epithelium may be cured with combined surgery and radioiodine therapy. In 10-15 % of cases patients may develop metastases which are cause of death. In advanced differentiated thyroid cancers of follicular origin combined therapy with radioiodine and TSH suppression may result in a long survival if metastases are still iodine avid are made iodine avid by redifferentiation therapy. Classical chemotherapy has no significant effect in differentiated advanced thyroid cancers. The knowledge regarding genes and gene products involved in cancer development, dedifferentiation, angiogenesis, tumor progression, and apoptosis allowed the development of a new arsenal of therapeutic agents designed to target these elements. Antibodies, small molecules, antisense nucleotides, and other agents directed against RETRAF-MAPK, the main pathway of tumor initiation and growth or against other growth factors and their receptors. Most of these therapeutic agents proven to be efficient in preclinical trials and some enter into clinical trials.