Dr. Sherman on Pazopanib in Anaplastic Thyroid Cancer

Eric J. Sherman, MD, Head and Neck Oncology Service, Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center, discusses the treatment of anaplastic thyroid cancer with intensity-modulated radiation therapy, paclitaxel, and pazopanib.

Anaplastic thyroid cancer is a large area of unmet need, Sherman says, as survival is typically less than six months. A phase II trial is examining the addition of pazopanib, a tyrosine kinase inhibitor, to radiation therapy and paclitaxel in patients with locally advanced anaplastic thyroid cancer or diseases that are metastatic elsewhere. Pazopanib has shown good response in differentiated thyroid cancer, but not in anaplastic thyroid cancer.

The idea behind this new combination is that adding pazopanib to a taxane will increase its benefit and that controlling the disease in the neck will lead to long term benefit. These drugs and radiation have not been used together before and toxicity must be controlled. Sherman says that although this is a phase II trial, overall survival is the primary outcome.