Thyroid Gland Follicular Carcinoma

This phase II study evaluates F-18 tetrafluoroborate (18F-TFB) PET/CT scan in patients with differentiated thyroid cancer. Diagnostic imaging is necessary for planning treatment, monitoring therapy response, and identifying sites of recurrent or metastatic disease in differentiated thyroid cancer. 18F-TFB PET/CT may accurately detect recurrent and metastatic thyroid cancer lesions, with the potential to provide information for patient management that is better than the current standard of care imaging practices.

This clinical trial evaluates the impact of a patient-centered health and wellness coaching (HWC) intervention on adherence to treatment plans and healthy lifestyle practices in patients with papillary or follicular thyroid cancer. Treatment for thyroid cancer often involves surgery, radioactive iodine and/or lifelong levothyroxine with regular monitoring of thyroid stimulating hormone levels. Despite strong survival rates, patients frequently report fatigue, cognitive issues, mood changes, and disruptions in daily life. Treatment burden and psychosocial strain often impair the ability to follow the treatment plan and healthy lifestyle. Studies have shown that HWC motivates patients to take ownership and accountability to perform positive and healthy behavioral changes. HWC may have a positive impact on health-related goal-setting processes and improve self-care and healthcare outcomes in certain settings. It is not yet known how HWC impacts thyroid cancer patients. Incorporating HWC into survivorship care may improve adherence to treatment plans and healthy lifestyle practices in patients with papillary or follicular thyroid cancer.

This pilot clinical trial is intended to compare the effect of a psychosocial support tool for young adult (YA)cancer survivors - including high-quality information about their cancer combined with evidence-based psychosocial support - to a support tool providing cancer-specific information alone (minus psychosocial modules). This tool, called Thrive Track, will be for YA patients aged 20-39 with thyroid, melanoma, or testicular cancer. Young adult survivors frequently experience persistent worry and distress that can interfere with coping and reduce quality of life. They are also particularly vulnerable to the emotional impact of cancer and may not have adequate support to manage these concerns. The enhanced version of Thrive Track includes personalized emotional support content and strategies designed to help patients better manage worry and distress. Adding these emotional support tools may provide greater benefit than survivorship education alone in strengthening young adult survivors' ability to manage their emotional well-being.

This phase II trial tests how well vemurafenib and cobimetinib work in treating patients with high risk differentiated thyroid carcinoma with BRAFV600E mutation, in preparation for radioactive iodine therapy. Vemurafenib and cobimetinib are used in patients whose cancer has a mutated (changed) form of a gene called BRAF. They are in a class of medications called kinase inhibitors. They work by blocking the action of an abnormal protein that signals cancer cells to multiply. This helps slow or stop the spread of cancer cells. Giving vemurafenib and cobimetinib may work better to treat patients with high risk differentiated thyroid carcinoma with BRAFV600E mutation, in preparation for radioactive iodine therapy.