Off-label immunotherapy may help some patients with metastatic anaplastic thyroid cancer

This case report and review of the literature describes a 76-year-old female with metastatic anaplastic thyroid cancer. She received off-label immunotherapy using the immune checkpoint inhibitor nivolumab as a single treatment. The study followed her for 12 months regarding progression-free survival and 18 months regarding overall survival. During this time, she showed radiographic and clinical responses. No adverse events were reported for this patient. The authors note that immunotherapy may be a valuable option for patients with this cancer who have high PD-L1 expression. However, the evidence comes from only one patient. The study does not provide statistical data or comparison groups. The main limitation is the need for larger clinical trials to confirm the efficacy of immunotherapy in anaplastic thyroid cancer. Readers should understand that this single case does not prove the treatment works for everyone. More research is needed before this approach becomes standard practice.