Metastatic medullary thyroid carcinoma (MTC): disease course, treatment modalities and factors predisposing for drug resistance

Purpose MTC has varying clinical course. In cases with metastatic disease (meta-MTC) further therapeutic modalities (locoregional and/or Tyrosine-Kinase-Inhibitors, TKIs) are needed. Clinical features, disease progression, response to therapy and possible factors predisposing to TKIs response-resistance in meta-MTCs were investigated. Methods Out of 338 MTC patients 54 had meta-MTC and were followed for 0.7–46 years (median 10.5); therapeutic interventions and response to therapy were recorded retrospectively. Results Of 54 meta-MTC patients, 34/54 were men, 44/54 sporadic (age-at-diagnosis 47 ± 17.4 years, range: 5–78). Distant metastases at diagnosis were present in 12/54 (≥2 loci in 8/12), 7/12 received TKIs; During follow-up metastases occurred in 42/54 (within 0.6–25 years from diagnosis, median 5 yrs). Locoregional therapies were administered to 44/54 (81.5%) and TKIs to 40/54 (74.1%). Vandetanib was administered in 30 patients (24 as first-line therapy). The median progression-free-survival, PFS) was 48 months (range 4–120), partial response (PR): 26.7%, stable disease (SD): 23.3%, progressive disease (PD): 50.0%, cancer-specific survival: 44.8%, (16 in ongoing-therapy). More favorable disease course was recorded in familial-MTC compared to sporadic ( p = 0.02) and in those patients with serious-adverse-events (SAEs) under treatment ( p = 0.027). Those with biochemical progression under vandetanib , later showed more frequently structural progression ( p = 0.007). Ten patients received cabozantinib (8/10 as second-line therapy, median PFS:11 months (3–36 months), 8/10 died). Three RET- mutant patients received selpercatinib ; all showed PR. Within the total follow-up period, the response to therapy was: PR: 8/54 (14.8%), SD: 15/54 (27.8%), PD: 31/54 (57.4%), cancer-specific survival 46.3%. Mortality was higher in older patients (≥60 years) compared to younger ones (<60 yrs) (83.3 vs 45.2%, p = 0.021). Outcome was better in familial-MTC vs sporadic (PR: 50 vs 6.8%, SD: 20 vs 29.5%, PD: 30 vs 59.1%, p = 0.007). Conclusions Meta-MTCs treatment results in disease stabilization in 42.6% during a median 10.5 year follow-up. Combination of locoregional and systemic therapies may result in more favorable PFS. Family history, younger age, SAEs may predict better response; biochemical escape under TKI needs to be followed-up closely as it may indicate disease progression.