Ichiro Abe1,2, Alfred King-Yin Lam3,4,5. 1. Cancer Molecular Pathology, School of Medicine, Griffith University, Gold Coast Campus, Gold Coast, QLD, 4222, Australia. 2. Department of Endocrinology and Diabetes Mellitus, Fukuoka University Chikushi Hospital, Chikushino, Fukuoka, 818-8502, Japan. 3. Cancer Molecular Pathology, School of Medicine, Griffith University, Gold Coast Campus, Gold Coast, QLD, 4222, Australia. a.lam@griffith.edu.au. 4. Faculty of Medicine, University of Queensland, Brisbane, Australia. a.lam@griffith.edu.au. 5. Pathology Queensland, Gold Coast University Hospital, Southport, QLD4215, Gold Coast, Australia. a.lam@griffith.edu.au.
Abstract
PURPOSE OF REVIEW: Anaplastic thyroid carcinoma is a type of thyroid carcinoma with the most aggressive biological behaviour amongst thyroid cancer. Here, we review the current genomic and the impacts of advances in therapies to improve the management of patients with the cancer. RECENT FINDINGS: Common mutations being identified in anaplastic thyroid carcinoma are p53 and TERT promoter mutations. Other common mutated genes included BRAF, RAS, EIF1AX, PIK3CA, PTEN and AKT1, SWI/SNF, ALK and CDKN2A. Changes in expression of different microRNAs are also involved in the pathogenesis of anaplastic thyroid carcinoma. Curative resection combined with radiotherapy and combination chemotherapies (such as anthracyclines, platins and taxanes) has been shown to have effects in the treatment of some patients with anaplastic thyroid carcinoma. Newer molecular targeted therapies in clinical trials target mostly the cell membrane kinase and downstream proteins. These include targeting the EGFR, FGFR, VEGFR, c-kit, PDGFR and RET on the cell membrane as well as VEGF itself and the downstream targets such as BRAF, MEK and mTOR. Immunotherapy is also being tested in the cancer. Updated knowledge of genomic as well as clinical trials on novel therapies is needed to improve the management of the patients with this aggressive cancer.
PURPOSE OF REVIEW: Anaplastic thyroid carcinoma is a type of thyroid carcinoma with the most aggressive biological behaviour amongst thyroid cancer. Here, we review the current genomic and the impacts of advances in therapies to improve the management of patients with the cancer. RECENT FINDINGS: Common mutations being identified in anaplastic thyroid carcinoma are p53 and TERT promoter mutations. Other common mutated genes included BRAF, RAS, EIF1AX, PIK3CA, PTEN and AKT1, SWI/SNF, ALK and CDKN2A. Changes in expression of different microRNAs are also involved in the pathogenesis of anaplastic thyroid carcinoma. Curative resection combined with radiotherapy and combination chemotherapies (such as anthracyclines, platins and taxanes) has been shown to have effects in the treatment of some patients with anaplastic thyroid carcinoma. Newer molecular targeted therapies in clinical trials target mostly the cell membrane kinase and downstream proteins. These include targeting the EGFR, FGFR, VEGFR, c-kit, PDGFR and RET on the cell membrane as well as VEGF itself and the downstream targets such as BRAF, MEK and mTOR. Immunotherapy is also being tested in the cancer. Updated knowledge of genomic as well as clinical trials on novel therapies is needed to improve the management of the patients with this aggressive cancer.
Authors: Glenn J Hanna; Naifa L Busaidy; Nicole G Chau; Lori J Wirth; Justine A Barletta; Antonio Calles; Robert I Haddad; Stefan Kraft; Maria E Cabanillas; Guilherme Rabinowits; Anne O'Neill; Sewanti A Limaye; Erik K Alexander; Francis D Moore; Krystof Misiwkeiwicz; Tom Thomas; Matthew Nehs; Ellen Marqusee; Stephanie L Lee; Pasi A Jänne; Jochen H Lorch Journal: Clin Cancer Res Date: 2018-01-04 Impact factor: 12.531
Authors: Min Ji Jeon; Sung-Min Chun; Deokhoon Kim; Hyemi Kwon; Eun Kyung Jang; Tae Yong Kim; Won Bae Kim; Young Kee Shong; Se Jin Jang; Dong Eun Song; Won Gu Kim Journal: Thyroid Date: 2016-04-13 Impact factor: 6.568
Authors: Iñigo Landa; Tihana Ibrahimpasic; Laura Boucai; Rileen Sinha; Jeffrey A Knauf; Ronak H Shah; Snjezana Dogan; Julio C Ricarte-Filho; Gnana P Krishnamoorthy; Bin Xu; Nikolaus Schultz; Michael F Berger; Chris Sander; Barry S Taylor; Ronald Ghossein; Ian Ganly; James A Fagin Journal: J Clin Invest Date: 2016-02-15 Impact factor: 14.808
Authors: Saad A Khan; Bo Ci; Yang Xie; David E Gerber; Muhammad S Beg; Steven I Sherman; Maria E Cabanillas; Naifa L Busaidy; Barbara A Burtness; Andreas M Heilmann; Mark Bailey; Jeffrey S Ross; David J Sher; Siraj M Ali Journal: Head Neck Date: 2019-02-13 Impact factor: 3.147
Authors: Soeren Latteyer; Vera Tiedje; Katharina König; Saskia Ting; Lukas C Heukamp; Lydia Meder; Kurt Werner Schmid; Dagmar Führer; Lars Christian Moeller Journal: Endocrine Date: 2016-10-01 Impact factor: 3.633
Authors: Bryan R Haugen; Daniel W Bowles; Nikita Pozdeyev; Laurie M Gay; Ethan S Sokol; Ryan Hartmaier; Kelsi E Deaver; Stephanie Davis; Jena D French; Pierre Vanden Borre; Daniel V LaBarbera; Aik-Choon Tan; Rebecca E Schweppe; Lauren Fishbein; Jeffrey S Ross Journal: Clin Cancer Res Date: 2018-04-03 Impact factor: 12.531
Authors: John W Kunstman; C Christofer Juhlin; Gerald Goh; Taylor C Brown; Adam Stenman; James M Healy; Jill C Rubinstein; Murim Choi; Nimrod Kiss; Carol Nelson-Williams; Shrikant Mane; David L Rimm; Manju L Prasad; Anders Höög; Jan Zedenius; Catharina Larsson; Reju Korah; Richard P Lifton; Tobias Carling Journal: Hum Mol Genet Date: 2015-01-09 Impact factor: 5.121
Authors: Danny Misiak; Marcus Bauer; Jana Lange; Jacob Haase; Juliane Braun; Kerstin Lorenz; Claudia Wickenhauser; Stefan Hüttelmaier Journal: Cancers (Basel) Date: 2021-11-24 Impact factor: 6.639
Authors: Adam Stenman; Minjun Yang; Johan O Paulsson; Jan Zedenius; Kajsa Paulsson; C Christofer Juhlin Journal: Cancers (Basel) Date: 2021-12-17 Impact factor: 6.639