Neoadjuvant Target Therapy with Lenvatinib Followed by Reoperative Central Neck Surgery for Thyroid Cancer

Author Info

Hakan Kaya Elif Peker Erol Metecan Düren

Corresponding Author

Hakan Kaya
Department of Endocrine Surgery, Acıbadem Maslak Hospital, Istanbul, Turkey

A B S T R A C T

Thyroid cancer is the most common endocrine malignancy, with differentiated thyroid cancers, including papillary and follicular cancers, accounting for nearly 95% of cases. These cancers generally have an excellent prognosis. However, RAI (radioiodine)-refractory disease remains a significant challenge for clinicians. Lenvatinib, a potent multikinase inhibitor targeting vascular endothelial growth factor receptors 1-3, fibroblast growth factor receptors 1-4, platelet-derived growth factor receptor alpha, and RET and KIT proto-oncogenes, offers a potential treatment option. In this report, we present a case where lenvatinib was utilized in a neoadjuvant setting. The patient had a history of thyroidectomy and neck dissection. Follow-up revealed elevated thyroglobulin (Tg) levels, and physical examination and ultrasonography (US) identified lymphadenopathies in the central neck and strap muscles. Lenvatinib treatment resulted in a 50% reduction in lymphadenopathy size, but was temporarily discontinued due to hypertension, the most common adverse effect. Subsequently, all metastatic lymph nodes and involved strap muscles were successfully resected, with an uneventful postoperative period and no wound complications. As lenvatinib is a relatively new drug, data on its neoadjuvant use is limited.

Article Info

Article Type

Case Report

Publication history

Received: Mon 07, Oct 2024
Accepted: Sat 19, Oct 2024
Published: Thu 31, Oct 2024

Copyright

© 2023 Hakan Kaya. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited. Hosting by Science Repository.
DOI: 10.31487/j.SCR.2024.03.01