Poorly differentiated and advanced thyroid cancers are characterized by high malignancy, progress rapidly, and resistance to radiotherapy and chemotherapy. These characteristics pose significant challenges, severely limiting effective treatment options. Various kinase inhibitors have been used in the treatment of refractory thyroid cancer were used accompanying by the carcinogenic mechanisms' studies investigating in thyroid cancer, such as Dabrafenib (BRAF inhibitor), Trametinib (MEK inhibitor), Vandetanib (RET inhibitor), Lenvatinib (VEGF inhibitor), and multi-target kinase inhibitors. However, drug resistance remains an inevitable issue, significantly limiting the efficacy and application of kinase inhibitors. Therapeutic approaches such as immunotherapy, redifferentiation strategies for thyroid cancer, radiopharmaceutical conjugates, and the application of nanotechnology are currently in the clinical research stage, requiring further clarification of their efficacy. Comprehensive understanding of therapeutic strategies and available treatment combinations for refractory thyroid cancer is of paramount importance in the diagnosis and treatment of thyroid cancer. Therefore, this article reviews technologies and methods for treating refractory thyroid cancer, focusing on chemotherapy, molecular targeted therapy, immunotherapy, and radiopharmaceutical therapy, aiming to provide a reference for selecting treatment strategies for refractory thyroid cancer.