Anaplastic thyroid cancer: An update

Anaplastic thyroid cancer (ATC) is one of the most lethal of all cancers. It is more common in women and occurs primarily in older patients. ATC has a median overall survival of 3e5 months and a nearly 100% disease-specific mortality. It is known to spread rapidly to locoregional structures as well as outside the neck to distant sites, hence ATC is always considered stage IV. With better understanding of the disease at a molecular level, the introduction of newer treatment strategies has been possible and is part of the multimodal (surgery, radiation, and systemic therapy) therapeutic approach. However, there is extensive work needed to achieve better survival outcomes. (c) 2022 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Automated summary

Anaplastic thyroid cancer (ATC) is a highly malignant cancer with a low survival rate, especially in older women. It spreads rapidly to nearby structures and distant sites outside the neck. Despite the introduction of newer treatment strategies, further research is needed to improve survival outcomes.