Dr. Bastholt on Lenvatinib in Thyroid Cancer

Lars Bastholt, MD, clinical oncologist, Odense University Hospital, discusses lenvatinib (Lenvima) in patients with thyroid cancer.

Lenvatinib, a TKI that targets VEGFR1-3, FGFR1-4, PDGFR-α, RET, and c-KIT, is currently being investigated as first-line therapy in several clinical trials, and the preferred first-line treatment for thyroid cancer in countries such as Denmark. Efficacy data published in 2014 showed that this agent increased progression-free survival greatly, as compared to other TKIs.

Future treatment for rarer cancers such as this should be left up to specialists, says Bastholt, as these types of agents should be introduced in a centralized fashion with close evaluation.