Emerging systemic antitarget treatment for differentiated thyroid carcinoma

Purpose of review We review the new systemic treatment strategies for differentiated thyroid carcinoma, as well as the acquaintance of its molecular biology. Recent findings Multiple kinase inhibitor drugs have become the standard therapy for thyroid cancer, albeit several adverse effects. In the last few years, new molecules have raised with an overall safety profile. Most of them, are considered targeted therapies directed toward driven-molecules alterations, such as neurotrophic tyrosine kinase receptor (NTRK) inhibitors for NTRK-fusion thyroid cancer and rearranged during transfection (RET) inhibitors for RET-fusion thyroid cancer. Recently, promising outcomes and safety data have been presented. Furthermore, other novel strategies for advanced thyroid carcinoma are currently investigated in clinical trials. The ability to provide precision medicine to patients in routine clinical settings depends on the availability of molecular profiling test at their cancer centers. The impossibility to perform molecular characterization could turn out to be a diagnostic and treatment limitation for some patients. The treatment of advanced differentiated thyroid carcinoma has undergone rapid evolution in the last decade. An emerging treatment era is coming. From now to then, we will need to face the different types of diagnostic tools for molecular characterization, their interpretation and, finally the access to targeted therapies.

Automated summary

In recent years, the treatment strategies for differentiated thyroid carcinoma have been continuously updated, focusing on targeting molecular alterations; new drugs and treatment methods are emerging; precision medicine depends on the availability of molecular profiling tests.