Endocrine Abstracts

An increased understanding of the genetic changes leading to thyroid cancers in recent years has led to a rapid increase in the number of effective targeted systemic therapies available for patients with advanced thyroid cancer. The multi-kinase inhibitors were the first drugs to show significant benefit but more recently more specific inhibitors of RET, BRAF, MEK and NTRK have been developed and are showing great promise. In this session I will discuss this paradigm shift in the management of advanced thyroid cancer, including iodine refractory differentiated thyroid cancer, medullary thyroid cancer and anaplastic thyroid cancer. I will discuss issues around patient selection for treatment, the data supporting these novel therapies, and the importance of molecular genetics testing of advanced thyroid cancers to ensure that the most appropriate treatment is chosen for each patient.