Marcia S. Brose, MD, PhD, assistant professor, Abramson Cancer Center, Department of Otolaryngology, Head & Neck Surgery, Department of Medicine, Division of Hematology/Oncology, Department of Dermatology, University of Pennsylvania, describes the DECISION trial, which analyzed the efficacy of sorafenib in differentiated thyroid cancer.

Brose explains that the DECISION trial was a placebo-controlled, randomized trial that tested the efficacy of sorafenib in patients with differentiated thyroid cancer that had progressed following radioactive iodine. These patients were randomized 1:1 to either sorafenib or placebo.

Brose says the results showed that the progression-free survival in the sorafenib arm was significantly increased to 10.8 months compared to 5.8 months in the placebo arm. This data is statistically significant with a hazard ratio of .587 and a P value of less than .0001.

Videos

Dr. Brose Describes the DECISION Trial

Marcia S. Brose, MD, PhD, assistant professor, Abramson Cancer Center, Department of Otolaryngology, Head & Neck Surgery, Department of Medicine, Division of Hematology/Oncology, Department of Dermatology, University of Pennsylvania, discusses recent advances in papillary thyroid cancer.

One of the newest phase II results to be released, Brose says, tested the efficacy of vemurafenib 

-mutated papillary thyroid cancer. This multicenter, international trial was done at 12 sites and showed a 39% response rate with an additional 23% of patients who had stable disease.

Brose says the progression-free survival was over 15 months, which is comparable to what was seen in phase II studies of the other tyrosine kinase inhibitors.

Brose believes these agents should be investigated further because patients who progress on sorafenib or any first-line agent are usually healthy and have great performance status. Since patients with thyroid cancer will likely end up being treated with 4, 5, or even 6 lines of treatment, Brose feels that there is a need to get more agents available to treat the disease.

Marcia S. Brose, MD, PhD

Articles

Dr. Brose Describes the DECISION Trial

Dr. Brose on Recent Advances in Papillary Thyroid Cancer