Selecting Optimal Therapeutic Strategies for Patients With Differentiated and Medullary Thyroid Cancer

STATEMENT OF NEED

Thyroid cancer is one of the most prevalent cancers in the United States. An estimated 56,870 new cases are diagnosed annually, and 2,010 people die of the disease (ACS, 2017). Thyroid cancer is typically more aggressive in men than women and becomes increasingly lethal in those older than age 40 (NCCN, 2016). There are three primary subtypes: differentiated (including papillary, follicular, and Hürthle), medullary, and anaplastic. The differentiated subtype is the most common, accounting for approximately 94% of cases (ACS, 2016). Although surgical resection may be curative and 10-year survival rates are high, the dearth of data from well-designed trials has led to confusion over optimal management strategies for individual patients (NCCN, 2016). The medullary subtype accounts for 4% of cases, with nearly half presenting with unresectable or metastatic disease. No curative systemic therapies are available for these patients, and the 5-year overall survival rate is only 28% (ACS, 2016). The anaplastic subtype has the worst prognosis, with no effective therapies available. The 1-year survival rate is a dismal 20%, and the disease-specific mortality rate is nearly 100% (NCCN, 2016).

TARGET AUDIENCE

Oncologists, endocrinologists, surgeons, and other health care professionals involved in the treatment of patients with thyroid cancer.

LEARNING OBJECTIVES

Upon completion of this activity, participants should be able to:

Assess risk-adapted approaches to the management of thyroid cancer
Evaluate efficacy and safety data on novel therapies for differentiated and medullary thyroid cancer
Apply posttreatment monitoring strategies to ensure optimal outcomes for patients with thyroid cancer

ONCC RECERTIFICATION

The CME activity content has been reviewed by the Oncology Nursing Certification Corporation (ONCC) and is acceptable for recertification points.

OCN®, CPHON®, CBCN®, AOCNP®, AOCNS®, and BMTCN® renewal candidates: 1 ILNA point may be applied toward:
Professional Practice; Survivorship; Treatment .................1 point

Please note that some of the course content applies to multiple content areas. The numerical value above indicates the maximum amount of points that can be claimed in each domain. The total amount of ILNA points claimed may not exceed the total amount of CME awarded from this course.