Refractory Hurthle Cell Thyroid CancerPhase 2NCT02143726
Sorafenib Tosylate With or Without Everolimus in Treating Patients With Advanced, Radioactive Iodine Refractory Hurthle Cell Thyroid Cancer
A Phase 2 study testing sorafenib and everolimus in people with Refractory Hurthle Cell Thyroid Cancer, run by Alliance for Clinical Trials in Oncology at 21 sites in United States.
Trial summary
This randomized phase II trial studies the effects, good and bad, of using everolimus along with sorafenib tosylate versus sorafenib tosylate alone in treating patients with advanced radioactive iodine refractory thyroid cancer. Read more about this study
- Who is it for?
- Ages 18 years and older
- Conditions the study is for
- Refractory Hurthle Cell Thyroid Cancer
- What is being tested?
- sorafenib and everolimus
- Could I receive a placebo?
- No, everyone receives an active treatment
- How many people
- 35 participants
- Where
- 21 sitesUnited States
- Study dates
- 9 Oct 2014to 6 Aug 2028
- Phase
- Phase 2
- Are there results?
- Yes, posted in the registrySummary in the doctors' view
Key requirements
Who can take part, as listed by the sponsor. Only the study team can confirm whether you are eligible, so take this list to your doctor.
- Ages 18 years and older
- All sexes
- No healthy volunteers
- Adult, Older adult
Eligibility Criteria:
- Central pathology review submission - Patients must have 10 representative hematoxylin and eosin (H\&E) stained thyroid tissue slides OR tumor block available for submission to central pathology review. This review is mandatory prior to registration to confirm eligibility.
- Measurable disease - Patients must have measurable disease by Response Evaluation Criteria In Solid Tumors (RECIST) criteria, defined as at least one lesion that can be accurately measured in at least one dimension (longest diameter to be recorded) as ≥ 20 mm with conventional techniques or as ≥ 10 mm with spiral computed tomography (CT) scan. CT must be performed within 28 days of registration.
- Radioactive iodine (RAI) - refractory disease defined as 1 or more of the following:
- Patients who have received greater than 600 mCi of radioactive iodine in their lifetime OR
- RAI-avid metastatic lesion which remained stable in size or progressed despite RAI treatment within 9 months of RAI treatment OR
- 10% or more increase in serum thyroglobulin (on thyroid-stimulating hormone [TSH]-suppression) within 9 months of RAI treatment OR
- Index metastatic lesion non-RAI avid on a diagnostic RAI scan OR
- Presence of fluorodeoxyglucose (FDG) avid metastatic lesions on positron emission tomography (PET)/CT scan (standardized uptake values [SUV]max > 5 of any single lesion)
- Progressive disease defined by RECIST criteria ≤ 14 months
- Patients must have metastatic disease or locally advanced unresectable disease
- Prior treatment
- Patients may have received prior radiation therapy to index lesions ≥ 28 days prior to registration on this protocol if there has been documented progression by RECIST criteria. Prior radiation therapy to the non-index lesions is allowed if ≥ 28 days prior to registration on this protocol.
- Prior RAI therapy is allowed if ≥ 90 days prior to registration on this protocol and evidence of progression (as defined above) has been documented in the interim (a diagnostic study using < 10 mCi of RAI is not considered RAI therapy).
- Prior chemotherapy is allowed if ≥ 28 days prior to registration on this protocol.
- Patient may have received any number of prior lines of therapy.
- No prior use of sorafenib or an mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) (including phosphoinositide 3-kinase [PI3k] or protein kinase B [AKT]) inhibitor for the treatment of thyroid cancer.
- No history of major surgery ≤ 28 days of registration
- No history of intracranial brain metastasis
- Cardiovascular disease. No history of any of the following ≤ 6 months of registration:
- Myocardial infarction or unstable angina
- New York Heart Association grade III or greater congestive heart failure
- Cerebrovascular accident
- Grade 3 or 4 peripheral ischemia
- Grade 3 or 4 thromboembolic event
- Liver disease: No history of the following:
- Child Pugh Class B or C liver disease
- "Chronic active" hepatitis defined as:
- Hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg) > 6 months
- Serum hepatitis B virus (HBV) deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) 20,000 IU/ml (105 copies/ml), lower values 2,000-20,000 IU/ml (104-105 copies/ml) are often seen in hepatitis B e antigen (HBeAg)-negative chronic hepatitis B
- Persistent or intermittent elevation in alanine aminotransferase (ALT)/aspartate aminotransferase (AST) levels
- Liver biopsy showing chronic hepatitis with moderate or severe necroinflammation
- No history of gastrointestinal fistula or gastrointestinal perforation < 90 days of registration.
- No known history of prolonged QT syndrome
- No Grade 3 or 4 hypertension (systolic blood pressure [BP] >160 and or diastolic BP > 100) that cannot be controlled with medication prior to registration.
- Concomitant medications:
- Chronic concomitant treatment with strong inhibitors of cytochrome P450 3A4 (CYP3A4) is not allowed on this study. Patients on strong CYP3A4 inhibitors must discontinue the drug for 14 days prior to registration on the study.
- Chronic concomitant treatment with strong CYP3A4 inducers is not allowed. Patients must discontinue the drug 14 days prior to the start of study treatment.
- Patients requiring anticoagulation must be on stable dose of medication prior to registration.
- Not pregnant and not nursing, because this study involves an investigational agent whose genotoxic, mutagenic and teratogenic effects on the developing fetus and newborn are unknown. Therefore, for women of childbearing potential only, a negative serum pregnancy test done ≤ 7 days prior to registration is required.
- Age ≥ 18 years
- Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group (ECOG) Performance Status ≤ 2
- Required Initial Laboratory Values:
- Absolute neutrophil count (ANC) ≥ 1,500/mm^3
- Platelet count ≥ 100,000/mm^3
- Creatinine ≤ 1.5 mg/dL OR
- Calculated creatinine clearance ≥ 30 mL/min
- Total bilirubin ≤ 1.5 x upper limits of normal (ULN)
- Serum glutamic oxaloacetic transaminase (SGOT) (AST) ≤ 2.5 x ULN
- Fasting serum cholesterol ≤ 300 mg/dL
- Documentation of disease: Histologic Documentation - Eligible patients must have histopathologically confirmed Hürthle cell thyroid cancer by central review.
Trial locations and contacts
21 sites in 1 country.
21 sites in 1 country
United States21 sites
University of Michigan Comprehensive Cancer Center
Ann Arbor, Michigan, 48109
Memorial Sloan Kettering Basking Ridge
Basking Ridge, New Jersey, 07920
Northwestern University
Chicago, Illinois, 60611
Southeastern Medical Oncology Center-Clinton
Clinton, North Carolina, 28328
Ohio State University Comprehensive Cancer Center
Columbus, Ohio, 43210
Memorial Sloan Kettering Commack
Commack, New York, 11725
Southeastern Medical Oncology Center-Goldsboro
Goldsboro, North Carolina, 27534
Wayne Memorial Hospital
Goldsboro, North Carolina, 27534
Memorial Sloan Kettering Westchester
Harrison, New York, 10604
Mayo Clinic in Florida
Jacksonville, Florida, 32224-9980
Southeastern Medical Oncology Center-Jacksonville
Jacksonville, North Carolina, 28546
Mercy Health System
Janesville, Wisconsin, 53547
Memorial Sloan Kettering Monmouth
Middletown, New Jersey, 07748
Memorial Sloan Kettering Bergen
Montvale, New Jersey, 07645
Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center
New York, New York, 10065
Nebraska Methodist Hospital
Omaha, Nebraska, 68114
Fox Chase Cancer Center
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, 19111
Mayo Clinic
Rochester, Minnesota, 55905
Siouxland Regional Cancer Center
Sioux City, Iowa, 51101
Memorial Sloan Kettering Sleepy Hollow
Sleepy Hollow, New York, 10591
Memorial Sloan Kettering Nassau
Uniondale, New York, 11553
About this study
Official title: Randomized Phase II Study of Sorafenib With or Without Everolimus in Patients With Radioactive Iodine Refractory Hurthle Cell Thyroid Cancer
This randomized phase II trial studies the effects, good and bad, of using everolimus along with sorafenib tosylate versus sorafenib tosylate alone in treating patients with advanced radioactive iodine refractory thyroid cancer. Sorafenib tosylate and everolimus may stop the growth of tumor cells by blocking some of the enzymes needed for cell growth. The addition of everolimus to sorafenib tosylate may cause more shrinkage of thyroid cancer and may prevent it from growing but it could also cause more side effects than sorafenib tosylate alone. It is not yet known whether this treatment with sorafenib tosylate and everolimus is better, the same, or worse than sorafenib tosylate alone.
Read the detailed description
This randomized Phase II trial will compare the progression-free survival (PFS) of sorafenib and everolimus versus sorafenib alone in patients with radioactive iodine refractory hurthle cell thyroid cancer. Prior studies have shown that the median PFS is generally around 4.5 months for sorafenib alone in this disease population. It is hoped that the combination of everolimus and sorafenib can increase the median PFS to at least 9 months. In addition to PFS, this trial will also compare the confirmed response rate, overall survival (OS) and adverse event rates between sorafenib and everolimus vs. sorafenib alone. The primary and secondary objectives for the study are listed below.
Primary Objective:
To compare the progression free survival between sorafenib and everolimus versus sorafenib alone in patients with radioactive iodine refractory Hurthle cell thyroid cancer
Secondary Objective:
To compare the confirmed response rate, overall survival and adverse event rates between sorafenib and everolimus versus sorafenib alone.
Treatment will continue until disease progression or unacceptable adverse events. Patients will be followed for 5 years after randomization.
- Conditions
- Refractory Hurthle Cell Thyroid Cancer
- Being tested
- sorafenib, everolimus
- Medical subject headings
- Thyroid cancer, Hurthle cell
What participants receive
What participants receive. In a randomised study each person is assigned to one group by chance.
sorafenibDrug
Also called Nexavar ®, BAY 43-9006
Given PO
everolimusDrug
Also called RAD001, Afinitor ®
Given PO
| Study group | Role | What they receive |
|---|---|---|
| sorafenib | Active comparator | Patients receive sorafenib 400 mg PO twice daily on days 1-28. Courses repeat every 28 days in the absence of disease progression or unacceptable toxicity. Patients with progressive disease may cross over and receive everolimus 10 mg PO once daily on days 1-28. Courses repeat every 28 days in the absence of disease progression or unacceptable toxicity. Receives: Drug: sorafenib |
| sorafenib and everolimus | Experimental | Patients receive sorafenib 400 mg PO twice daily and everolimus 5 mg PO once daily on days 1-28. Courses repeat every 28 days in the absence of disease progression or unacceptable toxicity. Receives: Drug: sorafenib; Drug: everolimus |
What is being measured
The primary outcome is the main question the study is designed to answer.
Progression Free Survival
Progression Free Survival (PFS) was defined as the time from randomization to the first of either disease progression or death from any cause. Progression is defined using Response Evaluation Criteria In Solid Tumors Criteria (RECIST v1.1), as a 20% increase in the sum of the longest diameter of target lesions, or a measurable increase in a non-target lesion, or the appearance of new lesions
Measured: 4 years and 4 months
Secondary outcomes (3)
Confirmed Response Rate
A patient will be classified as a confirmed response per Response Evaluation Criteria In Solid Tumors Criteria (RECIST v1.1) for target lesions and assessed by MRI: Complete Response (CR), Disappearance of all target lesions; Partial Response (PR), >=30% decrease in the sum of the longest diameter of target lesions; Overall Response (OR) = CR + PR.
Measured: 4 years 4 months
Overall Survival
Measured: 5 years
Number of Participants With Grade 3 or Higher Adverse Events
The maximum grade for each type of adverse event will be summarized using CTCAE version 4.0. The frequency and percentage of grade 3+ adverse events will be compared between the 2 treatment arms.
Measured: 4 years 3 months
Timeline
From the start of the study to its completion; the mark is today. Estimated dates are the sponsor’s plan.
- First posted21 May 2014 (estimated)
- Study start9 Oct 2014
- Primary completion28 Jan 2021
- Study completion6 Aug 2028 (estimated)
Resources
- Official record on ClinicalTrials.govThe registry entry this page is built from, with its full change history.
- Posted resultsParticipant flow, outcome measures and adverse events reported by the sponsor.
- Publications (1)Papers the sponsor has linked to this study.
- Other trials for Refractory Hurthle Cell Thyroid CancerStudies of the same condition, open and under way.
- More trials run by Alliance for Clinical Trials in OncologyThe sponsor's other registered studies.
- What the trial phases meanHow a treatment moves from first tests in people to approval.
More details
For doctors and researchers: how the study is designed, who runs it, and its registry IDs.
Study design
- Study type
- Interventional
- Phase
- Phase 2
- Primary purpose
- Treatment
- Allocation
- Randomised
- Intervention model
- Parallel groups
- Masking
- None (open label)
- Enrolment
- 35 participants (actual)
Sponsor and investigators
- Lead sponsor
- Alliance for Clinical Trials in Oncology
- Sponsor type
- University, hospital or other
- Collaborators
- National Cancer Institute (NCI), Novartis
- Responsible party
- Sponsor
- Investigators
- Eric Sherman, M.D., Study chair, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center
IDs, dates and publications
- ClinicalTrials.gov ID
- NCT02143726
- Sponsor's protocol ID
- A091302
- Other IDs
- U10CA180821, NCI-2014-00623
- Status last verified
- Jan 2026
- First submitted
- 19 May 2014
- Last updated
- 11 Feb 2026
- Results posted
- Yes, on ClinicalTrials.gov
- Data monitoring committee
- Yes
Publications
Matsuura D, Yuan A, Wang L, Ranganath R, Adilbay D, Harries V, Patel S, Tuttle M, Xu B, Ghossein R, Ganly I. Follicular and Hurthle Cell Carcinoma: Comparison of Clinicopathological Features and Clinical Outcomes. Thyroid. 2022 Mar;32(3):245-254. doi: 10.1089/thy.2021.0424.
PubMed 35078345
Study at a glance
From the registry record, last updated by the sponsor on 11 Feb 2026. Recruitment status is as the sponsor reported it: confirm with the study team.
- Official title
- Randomized Phase II Study of Sorafenib With or Without Everolimus in Patients With Radioactive Iodine Refractory Hurthle Cell Thyroid Cancer
- ClinicalTrials.gov ID
- NCT02143726
- Acronym / sponsor ID
- A091302
- Conditions
- Refractory Hurthle Cell Thyroid Cancer
- Phase
- Phase 2
- Study type
- Interventional
- Recruitment status
- Active, not recruiting
- Enrolment
- 35 participants (actual)
- Lead sponsor
- Alliance for Clinical Trials in OncologyUniversity, hospital or other
- Collaborators
- National Cancer Institute (NCI), Novartis
- Study start
- 9 Oct 2014 (actual)
- Primary completion
- 28 Jan 2021 (actual)
- Study completion
- 6 Aug 2028 (estimated)
- First posted
- 21 May 2014 (estimated)
- Results
- Posted 4 Apr 2022
Clinical summary
The research question as the sponsor registered it. This describes what the study plans to test, not what it found.
This randomized phase II trial studies the effects, good and bad, of using everolimus along with sorafenib tosylate versus sorafenib tosylate alone in treating patients with advanced radioactive iodine refractory thyroid cancer. Sorafenib tosylate and everolimus may stop the growth of tumor cells by blocking some of the enzymes needed for cell growth. The addition of everolimus to sorafenib tosylate may cause more shrinkage of thyroid cancer and may prevent it from growing but it could also cause more side effects than sorafenib tosylate alone. It is not yet known whether this treatment with sorafenib tosylate and everolimus is better, the same, or worse than sorafenib tosylate alone.
Detailed description
This randomized Phase II trial will compare the progression-free survival (PFS) of sorafenib and everolimus versus sorafenib alone in patients with radioactive iodine refractory hurthle cell thyroid cancer. Prior studies have shown that the median PFS is generally around 4.5 months for sorafenib alone in this disease population. It is hoped that the combination of everolimus and sorafenib can increase the median PFS to at least 9 months. In addition to PFS, this trial will also compare the confirmed response rate, overall survival (OS) and adverse event rates between sorafenib and everolimus vs. sorafenib alone. The primary and secondary objectives for the study are listed below.
Primary Objective:
To compare the progression free survival between sorafenib and everolimus versus sorafenib alone in patients with radioactive iodine refractory Hurthle cell thyroid cancer
Secondary Objective:
To compare the confirmed response rate, overall survival and adverse event rates between sorafenib and everolimus versus sorafenib alone.
Treatment will continue until disease progression or unacceptable adverse events. Patients will be followed for 5 years after randomization.
Study design
- Primary purpose
- Treatment
- Allocation
- Randomised
- Intervention model
- Parallel groups
- Masking
- None (open label)
- Number of arms
- 2
| Arm | Type | Receives |
|---|---|---|
| sorafenib | Active comparator | Drug: sorafenibPatients receive sorafenib 400 mg PO twice daily on days 1-28. Courses repeat every 28 days in the absence of disease progression or unacceptable toxicity. Patients with progressive disease may cross over and receive everolimus 10 mg PO once daily on days 1-28. Courses repeat every 28 days in the absence of disease progression or unacceptable toxicity. |
| sorafenib and everolimus | Experimental | Drug: sorafenib, Drug: everolimusPatients receive sorafenib 400 mg PO twice daily and everolimus 5 mg PO once daily on days 1-28. Courses repeat every 28 days in the absence of disease progression or unacceptable toxicity. |
Who may qualify
- Ages
- 18 years and older
- Sex
- All
- Healthy volunteers
- Not accepted
- Age groups
- Adult, Older adult
Eligibility is decided by the study team after screening; this overview does not establish that a patient qualifies. Full inclusion and exclusion criteria.
Interventions
| Intervention | Type | Arms |
|---|---|---|
| sorafenibAlso: Nexavar ®, BAY 43-9006Given PO | Drug | sorafenib, sorafenib and everolimus |
| everolimusAlso: RAD001, Afinitor ®Given PO | Drug | sorafenib and everolimus |
Primary outcome
Progression Free Survival
Time frame: 4 years and 4 months
Progression Free Survival (PFS) was defined as the time from randomization to the first of either disease progression or death from any cause. Progression is defined using Response Evaluation Criteria In Solid Tumors Criteria (RECIST v1.1), as a 20% increase in the sum of the longest diameter of target lesions, or a measurable increase in a non-target lesion, or the appearance of new lesions
3 secondary outcomes
Confirmed Response Rate
Time frame: 4 years 4 months
Overall Survival
Time frame: 5 years
Number of Participants With Grade 3 or Higher Adverse Events
Time frame: 4 years 3 months
Results and safety
Loading the posted results from ClinicalTrials.gov…
Research links
- Official record on ClinicalTrials.govLast updated by the sponsor 11 Feb 2026.
- Posted resultsParticipant flow, baseline, all outcome measures and adverse events.
- Derived from this study: PubMed 35078345Matsuura D, Yuan A, Wang L, Ranganath R, Adilbay D, Harries V, Patel S, Tuttle M, Xu B, Ghossein R, Ganly I. Follicular and Hurthle Cell Carcinoma: Comparison of Clinicopathological Features and Clinical Outcomes. Thyroid. 2022 Mar;32(3):245-254. doi: 10.1089/thy.2021.0424.
Related trials for Refractory Hurthle Cell Thyroid Cancer
Active, not recruitingPhase 2
PDR001 Combination Therapy for Radioiodine-Refractory Thyroid Cancer
Thyroid Cancer, Thyroid Cancer, Follicular
Referral and contact
AzTrials does not enrol participants or take referrals. Contact the study team or a site listed below; they decide who can take part. This study is not recruiting at the moment.
Eric Sherman, M.D. study chair
Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center
21 sites in 1 country: see every site and its status.
Questions about this trial
What is this clinical trial studying?
A Phase 2 study testing sorafenib and everolimus in people with Refractory Hurthle Cell Thyroid Cancer, run by Alliance for Clinical Trials in Oncology at 21 sites in United States.
The full registered description is in the About this study section and the official record.
Who may be eligible to take part?
Eligibility is decided by the study team after screening, so read the full criteria and contact a listed site.
Is this clinical trial currently recruiting?
The record says: under way, not looking for participants, as of the sponsor's last update on 11 Feb 2026. Status can change between updates, so confirm with the study contact before making plans.
Where is the study taking place?
The record lists 21 sites in United States. Whether a site is taking part right now should be confirmed with that site. See every site.
What are the possible benefits and risks?
They depend on the study and the treatment, and no study can promise a benefit. The study team explains the known risks during informed consent, before anyone joins; the record itself does not list them.
What does this phase mean?
Phase 2 studies give the treatment to a larger group to see whether it has the intended effect and to keep checking safety.
Not every study follows the same path, and some studies (observational studies, device studies) have no phase.
Are results available for this study?
Yes. Results are posted in the registry (first posted 4 Apr 2022). A summary is in the For doctors view, and the full results are on ClinicalTrials.gov.
How can a doctor refer a patient or contact the research team?
The record lists no contact. The official record names the sponsor, who can be asked directly. AzTrials does not enrol participants or take referrals.
What does the primary outcome measure?
Progression Free Survival (time frame: 4 years and 4 months). It is what the study was designed to measure, not a finding.
Where can I read the original study information?
On the ClinicalTrials.gov record for NCT02143726, which also lists 1 linked publication.
Does a listing mean the treatment is approved or proven to work?
No. A listing means the study is registered. It does not show that the treatment is safe, works, or is approved by a regulator.
How often is this information updated?
AzTrials copies changed records from ClinicalTrials.gov every night and reloads the whole registry every week. The sponsor last updated this record on 11 Feb 2026.