title: New targeted therapies and other advances in the management of anaplastic thyroid cancer.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Anaplastic thyroid cancer is the most aggressive solid tumor known to humans. Even when found in a localized form, the prognosis is grave. For metastatic disease, there has been little effect on survival using traditional chemotherapy.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Over a five-decade interval, there has been little progress in the treatment of this malignancy. However, targeted agents represent a new mode of treatment, and some studies have shown encouraging preclinical results. Combretastatin has shown activity in phase 1 and phase II trials; although the registration phase III study failed to meet its accrual goals, it did appear to show some benefit, especially in younger patients.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Combinations of this compound and other targeted agents may prove to be a breakthrough in an otherwise untreatable cancer.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine, Section of Medical Oncology, Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut 06520, USA. Hari.deshpande@yale.edu
authors.forename: Hari A
authors.initials: HA
authors.lastname: Deshpande
authors.forename: Sanziana
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Roman
authors.forename: Julie A
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Sosa
mesh_terms: D000970:Antineoplastic Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D000972:Antineoplastic Agents, Phytogenic / Q000627:therapeutic use; D001632:Bibenzyls / Q000627:therapeutic use; D002986:Clinical Trials as Topic; D004359:Drug Therapy, Combination / Q000379:methods; D056572:Histone Deacetylase Inhibitors / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D006801:Humans; D058990:Molecular Targeted Therapy / Q000379:methods; D047428:Protein Kinase Inhibitors / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D065646:Thyroid Carcinoma, Anaplastic; D013964:Thyroid Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy*
chemical_list: D000970:Antineoplastic Agents; D000972:Antineoplastic Agents, Phytogenic; D001632:Bibenzyls; D056572:Histone Deacetylase Inhibitors; D047428:Protein Kinase Inhibitors; C040105:combretastatin