Regression of Papillary Thyroid Cancer during Nivolumab for Renal Cell Cancer

Eur Thyroid J. 2020 May;9(3):157-161. doi: 10.1159/000506107. Epub 2020 Apr 15.

Abstract

Immune checkpoint inhibitors have been recently approved for cancer treatment. Nivolumab is a monoclonal antibody specific for programmed cell death-1 (PD-1) that modulates T-cell response. It was initially used for the treatment of malignant melanoma and then approved in other cancers, such as non-small cell lung cancer and clear cell renal cell carcinoma (ccRCC). So far, the activity of nivolumab in patients with thyroid malignancies has been reported in a single case of anaplastic thyroid cancer. Here, we report the case of a patient with ccRCC who developed a papillary thyroid carcinoma (PTC) under first-line sunitinib treatment. During nivolumab, the second-line treatment for ccRCC, we unexpectedly observed a complete regression of PTC.

Keywords: Cancer; Immune checkpoint inhibitors; Nivolumab; Thyroid cancer.

Publication types

  • Case Reports