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
GETNE Registration of Thyroid Cancer
An epidemiological, observational, multicenter, cross-sectional, retrospective study on patients ≥ 18 years visited in the oncology services of the participating centers with diagnosis of primary thyroid cancer.
Nanosecond Pulsed Field Ablation in the Management of T1N0M0 Papillary Thyroid Carcinoma
This study is to evaluate the effectiveness of nsPFA in treating papillary thyroid microcarcinoma. T