12. Selpercatinib: A New Hope for RET-Driven Cancers
Another medication that has shown promise in the treatment of thyroid cancer is Selpercatinib. This drug is a selective RET inhibitor, designed to target cancers with specific RET gene alterations. RET mutations and fusions are common in various thyroid cancers, making this a promising therapeutic strategy.
Selpercatinib is particularly effective in treating medullary thyroid cancer and differentiated thyroid cancer that are driven by RET alterations and have become resistant to other treatments. Clinical trials have demonstrated its ability to induce significant and durable responses, giving hope to patients who previously had limited treatment options.
The side effects of Selpercatinib can include hypertension, liver function abnormalities, and dry mouth, among others. However, these are usually manageable with supportive care and dose adjustments, and the therapeutic benefits offered by this targeted therapy often outweigh these considerations.
Selpercatinib’s approval marked a significant breakthrough in the treatment of RET-driven cancers. Its success underscores the importance of genomic testing in thyroid cancer to identify actionable mutations and fusions that can guide the selection of targeted therapies. (12)
