Anaplastic carcinoma of the thyroid gland: Treatment and outcome over 13 years at one institution

Background Anaplastic thyroid carcinoma (ATC) is a highly aggressive malignancy of the thyroid gland. Patients at our institution are treated with external radiotherapy up to 46 Gray (Gy) and low-dose doxorubicin prior to surgery. We retrospectively evaluated the outcome of ATC patients over a 13-year period. Methods Clinical, histopathological, and follow-up data for 59 patients diagnosed between 1997 and 2010 were collected and analyzed. Results Median age at diagnosis was 77 years. Female-male ratio was 2.5:1. Median survival from time of diagnosis was 3.3 months. Thirty-six patients completed the treatment protocol (including surgery), of whom one succumbed due to local tumor growth. In multivariate analysis, the only factor significantly associated with longer survival among operated patients was absence of metastases at diagnosis (P?=?0.031). No impact on survival time was found for gender, extent of surgical resection, and absence of extrathyroidal invasion. Conclusions Despite aggressive treatment, survival rates in ATC patients remain low. Locoregional control is feasible for most patients, underscoring the importance of an intense, multimodal treatment regimen. Further oncological intervention is of crucial importance to achieve a better prognosis for ATC patients. J. Surg. Oncol. 2012; 106: 981986. (c) 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.