New diagnoses of thyroid cancer are increasing. While standard care can be effective in curing localized and regional disease, better therapies are needed for patients with metastatic cancer. A new investigator-initiated trial at Providence Cancer Institute will evaluate whether targeted therapy given with or without monoclonal antibody immunotherapy may provide a clinical benefit to patients with metastatic, radioiodine-refractory thyroid cancer.
Get the study details here:
Matthew Taylor, M.D., medical oncologist and leader of the Developmental Cancer Therapeutics Lab, is principal investigator of the phase II study. The trial aims to find out if the combination of encorafenib and binimetinib, given with and without nivolumab, is a safe and effective way to treat BRAF V600 mutation-positive thyroid cancer that has spread to other places in the body (metastatic) and does not respond to radioiodine treatment (refractory).
Binimetinib (Mektovi) and encorafenib (Braftovi) are approved for patients with melanoma whose cancers express the BRAF V600 gene mutation. They may stop the growth of tumor cells by blocking some of the enzymes needed for cell growth. Nivolumab (Opdivo), a PD-1 checkpoint inhibitor approved for several cancers, may help the body’s immune system attack the cancer, and may interfere with the ability of tumor cells to grow and spread.
In earlier studies, Dr. Taylor and colleagues demonstrated durable clinical benefit in patients with anaplastic thyroid cancer treated with monoclonal antibodies. The study was among the first clinical trials to show responsiveness to PD-1 blockade in this population.
For more information or to enroll a patient, call our Clinical Research office at 503-215-2614 or submit a referral form.
More thyroid studies
Providence Cancer Institute has several studies open for patients with thyroid and other endocrine cancers. See all endocrine cancer studies and multi-indication trials.
New studies are added frequently. Please visit our website to view our list of studies for all cancers at Providence Cancer Institute.
Providence Head and Neck Cancer Clinic
The Providence Head and Neck Cancer Program offers world-class care for patients with benign and malignant tumors of the oral cavity (mouth), tongue, pharynx (throat), larynx (voice box), nose, paranasal sinuses, salivary glands and thyroid gland, as well as tumors at the skull base. Our medical and surgical oncology teams work collaboratively to start patients on treatment regimens very quickly. Through our innovative trials and translational research, we strive to elevate the current standard of care for cancer patients by offering advancements such as adoptive cellular therapy and pre-operative immunotherapy. To learn more, visit providenceoregon.org/hncancer.
