Anaplastic thyroid carcinoma case series

Abstract

Aim: Among the endocrine malignancies, thyroid carcinoma (TC) is the most common. However, anaplastic TC accounts for 1-2% of these cancers. The aim of this study was to evaluate the demographic and pathologic features, treatments, and survival of patients with anaplastic TC. Methods: Anaplastic TC patients who applied to our medical oncology clinics between 01.01.2012 -01.12.2018 were retrospectively evaluated. Results: A total of 8 patients were included in the study. There were 4 female and 4 male patients with a median age of 68 (minimum 61-maximum 83) years. The initial complaint of all patients was a fast-growing swelling in the neck. Six patients had total thyroidectomy. Two patients had anaplastic TC with a differential TC. Six patients were at stage 4C. The most common site of metastasis was the lung (75%). Five patients had received a median of 3 (1-6) cycles of chemotherapy. Radiotherapy was applied to 7 patients. All patients except one died during the follow-up period. The median survival time of the patients was 3 (2-15) months. Conclusion: Anaplastic TC, an aggressive tumor with high metastasic potential, has no effective treatment at present. Effective treatments are needed for this rare and aggressive disease. Developments in the molecular field are promising for the treatment of ATC.

Keywords

• anaplastic thyroid carcinoma
• overall survival
• thyroid