Pembrolizumab and Lenvatinib/Chemotherapy for Poorly Differentiated/Anaplastic Thyroid Cancer
Status:
Suspended
Trial end date:
2023-12-28
Target enrollment:
Participant gender:
Summary
The aim of the study is to evaluate the efficacy of the combination of lenvatinib with
pembrolizumab, and to establish a safe and effective systemic treatment regimen for patients
with metastatic anaplastic thyroid cancer (ATC) / poorly differentiated thyroid cancer
(PDTC).
Lenvatinib is an anti-angiogenic and antiproliferative drug used in differentiated thyroid
cancer. It blocks proliferative genes such as RET and PDGFR and further inhibits major
proliferation pathways such as VEGF receptor signaling and FGFR1-4.
Pembrolizumab is an immune checkpoint inhibitor that targets PD-1 located on lymphocytes. The
response to pembrolizumab treatment is associated, among other things, with increased
expression of PD-L1, as well as with the frequency of somatic mutations in the respective
tumors. Patients with ATC / PDTC show high expression of PD-L1.