What treatment option is available for papillary thyroid carcinoma?

• A. BRAF inhibitors
• B. MEK inhibitors
• C. PD-1 inhibitors
• D. HER2-targeted therapy

Answer: (A)

Papillary thyroid carcinoma often carries activating BRAF mutations that drive the cancer through the MAPK signaling pathway. Blocking this pathway with a BRAF inhibitor can slow tumor growth and, in advanced or iodine-refractory disease, may reduce tumor burden and help restore iodine uptake in some cases. This makes BRAF inhibitors a targeted therapy option for this cancer when a BRAF-mutant tumor is present. The other options listed are not standard targeted treatments for papillary thyroid carcinoma: PD-1 inhibitors are immunotherapies used in various cancers but not a typical treatment for PTC; MEK inhibitors act downstream of BRAF but are not usually used alone for PTC; HER2-targeted therapies are not a common approach for papillary thyroid carcinoma. Therefore, BRAF inhibitors best align with available treatment options for this disease.