Dramatic Response to First Line Single Agent Pembrolizumab in Anaplastic Thyroid Carcinoma

Anaplastic thyroid carcinoma (ATC) is a deadly disease with very limited therapeutic options. There is an urgent need for new and efficacious drugs. Unfortunately accrual in clinical trials is problematic because of the rarity of the disease and often poor performance status at diagnosis. Recently s...

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Main Authors: Valérie Spalart, Barbara Legius, Kurt Segers, Johan Coolen, Brigitte Maes, Lynn Decoster
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Wiley 2019-01-01
Series:Case Reports in Endocrinology
Online Access:http://dx.doi.org/10.1155/2019/9095753
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author Valérie Spalart
Barbara Legius
Kurt Segers
Johan Coolen
Brigitte Maes
Lynn Decoster
author_facet Valérie Spalart
Barbara Legius
Kurt Segers
Johan Coolen
Brigitte Maes
Lynn Decoster
author_sort Valérie Spalart
collection DOAJ
description Anaplastic thyroid carcinoma (ATC) is a deadly disease with very limited therapeutic options. There is an urgent need for new and efficacious drugs. Unfortunately accrual in clinical trials is problematic because of the rarity of the disease and often poor performance status at diagnosis. Recently some data have emerged suggesting a role for immunotherapy in the treatment of ATC. We describe the case of a 75-year-old patient with poor performance status and compromised airway and oesophagus at diagnosis, showing a rapid and dramatic response to first line single agent pembrolizumab. Disease progression in the brain occurred 16 months after initial diagnosis. At that time there was ongoing extracranial disease control.
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issn 2090-6501
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publishDate 2019-01-01
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series Case Reports in Endocrinology
spelling doaj-art-d64ae34827044df2aba2f247ac1ea79b2025-08-20T02:19:40ZengWileyCase Reports in Endocrinology2090-65012090-651X2019-01-01201910.1155/2019/90957539095753Dramatic Response to First Line Single Agent Pembrolizumab in Anaplastic Thyroid CarcinomaValérie Spalart0Barbara Legius1Kurt Segers2Johan Coolen3Brigitte Maes4Lynn Decoster5AZ Turnhout, Department of Internal Medicine, Turnhout, BelgiumAZ Turnhout, Department of Pulmonology/Respiratory Oncology, Turnhout, BelgiumAZ Turnhout, Department of Pathology, Turnhout, BelgiumUniversity Hospitals Leuven, Department of Radiology, Leuven, BelgiumJessa Hospital Hasselt, Laboratory for Molecular Diagnostics, Department of Clinical Biology, Hasselt, BelgiumAZ Turnhout, Department of Pulmonology/Respiratory Oncology, Turnhout, BelgiumAnaplastic thyroid carcinoma (ATC) is a deadly disease with very limited therapeutic options. There is an urgent need for new and efficacious drugs. Unfortunately accrual in clinical trials is problematic because of the rarity of the disease and often poor performance status at diagnosis. Recently some data have emerged suggesting a role for immunotherapy in the treatment of ATC. We describe the case of a 75-year-old patient with poor performance status and compromised airway and oesophagus at diagnosis, showing a rapid and dramatic response to first line single agent pembrolizumab. Disease progression in the brain occurred 16 months after initial diagnosis. At that time there was ongoing extracranial disease control.http://dx.doi.org/10.1155/2019/9095753
spellingShingle Valérie Spalart
Barbara Legius
Kurt Segers
Johan Coolen
Brigitte Maes
Lynn Decoster
Dramatic Response to First Line Single Agent Pembrolizumab in Anaplastic Thyroid Carcinoma
Case Reports in Endocrinology
title Dramatic Response to First Line Single Agent Pembrolizumab in Anaplastic Thyroid Carcinoma
title_full Dramatic Response to First Line Single Agent Pembrolizumab in Anaplastic Thyroid Carcinoma
title_fullStr Dramatic Response to First Line Single Agent Pembrolizumab in Anaplastic Thyroid Carcinoma
title_full_unstemmed Dramatic Response to First Line Single Agent Pembrolizumab in Anaplastic Thyroid Carcinoma
title_short Dramatic Response to First Line Single Agent Pembrolizumab in Anaplastic Thyroid Carcinoma
title_sort dramatic response to first line single agent pembrolizumab in anaplastic thyroid carcinoma
url http://dx.doi.org/10.1155/2019/9095753
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