There is a Significant Unmet Need in MTC

Roger B. Cohen, MD, is a professor of medicine at the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania (Penn) and associate director of clinical research at Penn's Abramson Cancer Center. Along with his colleagues at Penn, he is investigating a novel CAR T-cell product as a treatment for adults with medullary thyroid cancer (MTC).

MTC is a rare disease, accounting for 1% to 2% of thyroid cancer cases. The prognosis for these patients is poor, and there are few treatment options for those with relapsed/refractory disease.

Thyroidectomy is the only curative option for MTC. Dr Cohen says that, when surgery is not an option, physicians can turn to palliative care with RET inhibitors and multikinase inhibitors. Unfortunately, most patients will eventually progress on those therapies and need new options for second- and third-line therapies.