Dabrafenib Plus Trametinib in BRAF V600E Mutated Thyroid Cancer After Prior Therapy

Lori Wirth, MD, reviews emerging phase 3 data evaluating dabrafenib plus trametinib in patients with BRAF V600E–mutated advanced differentiated thyroid cancer. Results from a randomized trial presented at European Society for Medical Oncology demonstrated significantly improved progression-free survival compared with placebo in patients previously treated with one or more VEGFR-targeted multikinase inhibitors. The combination also achieved objective response rates exceeding 50%, with a manageable safety profile consistent with prior experience, including pyrexia as a notable adverse event. These findings represent the first randomized phase 3 evidence supporting BRAF-targeted therapy in this setting. Despite this, lenvatinib remains the preferred first-line option due to strong efficacy data, with dabrafenib plus trametinib generally reserved for second-line use unless contraindications to multikinase inhibitors exist.

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