What the trial was testing
The trial enrolled 63 patients with thyroid cancer. The study was sponsored by Kura Oncology, Inc. and tracked outcomes across the full group of patients who matched the trial's eligibility profile.
It was initial testing (phase 2). Trials at this stage are designed to produce evidence regulators and physicians can act on — not just observations to follow up later.
What the results showed
The pill shrank tumors in 55% of patients with advanced head and neck cancer carrying an HRAS mutation.
Journal of clinical oncology : official journal of the American Society of Clinical Oncology · 2021 · NCT02383927
These findings — that tumors shrank in patients with advanced head and neck cancer and high HRAS mutations — were published in the Journal of clinical oncology : official journal of the American Society of Clinical Oncology and represent the headline result of the study.
Researchers tracked outcomes across 63 patients enrolled in the trial. The result was consistent enough across the group that the team felt confident reporting it.
What this means for patients
For patients with thyroid cancer, this result changes the calculus on what to ask their care team about. Whether it changes day-to-day care depends on factors like disease subtype, prior treatments, and where the patient is in their care journey.
What you can do now
If your head and neck cancer has spread and testing shows you have an HRAS mutation, this pill might work for you — especially if the mutation level is high. This was a mid-stage study, so ask your oncologist whether this treatment is available through a clinical trial or if it's been approved since this study was published.
Eligibility for the treatments mentioned above depends on specific test results and clinical history. Bring this summary, the trial name, and your most recent labs or pathology report to your next visit.
Open thyroid cancer trials
Hereditary Risk Factors for Thyroid Cancer
Thyroid cancers can occur sporadically, but can also be found as tumors that cluster in families with other cancers or genetic syndromes. Researchers are studying thyroid cancer in children and families, with a particular interest in understanding genes and other factors that may put individuals at risk for developing thyroid cancer and thyroid nodules. * In this study, family and medical history information is collected alongside a blood or saliva sample for genetic studies. * Individuals with a past or present childhood thyroid cancer/nodule or a thyroid cancer suspected to be inherited in their family are invited to participate.
DETERMINE Trial Treatment Arm 07: Dabrafenib in Combination With Trametinib in Adult, Paediatric and Teenage/Young Adult Patients With BRAF V600 Mutation-Positive Cancers.
This clinical trial is looking at two drugs called dabrafenib and trametinib. Dabrafenib and trametinib are approved as standard of care treatment for adult patients with melanoma (a type of skin cancer) or lung cancer and in children with glioma (a type of brain tumour). This means they have gone through clinical trials and been approved by the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) in the UK. Dabrafenib and trametinib work in patients with a particular mutation in their cancer known as BRAF V600. Investigators now wish to find out if they will be useful in treating patients with other cancer types which have the same mutation. If the results are positive, the study team will work with the NHS and the Cancer Drugs Fund to see if these drugs can be routinely accessed for patients in the future. This trial is part of a trial programme called DETERMINE. The programme will also look at other anti-cancer drugs in the same way, through matching the drug to rare cancer types or ones with specific mutations.