title: Vandetanib and the management of advanced medullary thyroid cancer.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Vandetanib is a small molecule tyrosine kinase inhibitor that has been recently approved as an 'orphan drug' for the treatment of patients with unresectable, locally advanced, or metastatic medullary thyroid cancer (MTC).
  
  
  RESULTS
  MTC is a neuroendocrine malignancy frequently associated with mutations to the RET proto-oncogene. Vandetanib selectively targets RET, vascular endothelial growth factor receptor-2, and epidermal growth factor receptor dependent signaling. Vandetanib has been shown to improve progression-free survival in patients with advanced MTC. In general, vandetanib is well tolerated, but QTc prolongation remains a potential concern demanding careful patient selection and monitoring.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Vandetanib has emerged as one of the more promising small molecule tyrosinse kinase inhibitors, providing durable rates of disease stabilization, with an acceptable adverse event profile in patients with advanced MTC.
authors.affiliation: Department of Endocrine Surgery, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, California, USA.
authors.forename: Michael J
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Campbell
authors.forename: Carolyn D
authors.initials: CD
authors.lastname: Seib
authors.forename: Jessica
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Gosnell
mesh_terms: D000970:Antineoplastic Agents / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D018276:Carcinoma, Medullary / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000473:pathology; D002986:Clinical Trials as Topic; D006801:Humans; D010880:Piperidines / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D047428:Protein Kinase Inhibitors / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D000090063:Proto-Oncogene Mas; D011799:Quinazolines / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D013964:Thyroid Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000473:pathology
chemical_list: D000970:Antineoplastic Agents; C000715470:MAS1 protein, human; D010880:Piperidines; D047428:Protein Kinase Inhibitors; D000090063:Proto-Oncogene Mas; D011799:Quinazolines; C452423:vandetanib