Dr. Sherman on Selumetinib-Enhanced Radioiodine Uptake

Eric J. Sherman, MD, Head and Neck Oncology Service, Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center, discusses a pilot study of selumetinib-enhanced radioiodine uptake in advanced thyroid cancer.

This study was conducted to determine whether selumetinib could reverse refractoriness to radioiodine in patients with metastatic thyroid cancer. An iodine-124 positron-emission tomography (I-124 PET scan) was performed before and after selumetinib administration (75 mg twice daily). Sherman says that an I-124 PET scan is an adequate way of measuring change objectively in each lesion.

In the study, 12 patients had an increase in radioactive iodine in their tumors. Eight (of the 12) patients had a significant enough uptake to be treated with radioactive iodine. Sherman believes the data from this pilot study could benefit patients with early disease.