title: Anaplastic carcinoma of the thyroid: a 24-year experience.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Anaplastic carcinoma of the thyroid gland is a lethal entity; few patients live more than 12 months following diagnosis. We retrospectively reviewed the experience with this entity at our cancer institute and identified a subgroup of patients with complete resection who have a 60% 5-year survival.
  
  
  METHODS
  Twenty-one cases of anaplastic carcinoma of the thyroid gland were analyzed retrospectively with respect to prognostic factors influencing survival. This represents 2.7% of 771 cases of thyroid cancer seen at our institution from 1968 to 1992. The median age at presentation was 65.1 years; male/female ratio was 1:1.1; and the most common symptom was a rapidly enlarging neck mass (76%).
  
  
  RESULTS
  Estimated 5-year survival was 10% (median: 4.5 months). Tumor size less than 6.0 cm (p = .004) and female gender (p = .02) were significant prognostic factors. Five patients who underwent complete resection had an estimated 5-year survival of 60% (median: 131 months). Four of these patients had postoperative radiotherapy with or without sequential chemotherapy. Two of these patients survived more than 10 years, and a third remains alive without disease at 26 months.
authors.affiliation: Albany Medical College, New York.
authors.forename: R K
authors.initials: RK
authors.lastname: Tan
authors.forename: R K
authors.initials: RK
authors.lastname: Finley
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Driscoll
authors.forename: V
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Bakamjian
authors.forename: W L
authors.initials: WL
authors.lastname: Hicks
authors.forename: D P
authors.initials: DP
authors.lastname: Shedd
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D002277:Carcinoma / Q000401:mortality* / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery; D018286:Carcinoma, Giant Cell / Q000401:mortality; D002423:Cause of Death; D003131:Combined Modality Therapy; D018572:Disease-Free Survival; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009518:New York / Q000453:epidemiology; D011379:Prognosis; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012737:Sex Factors; D015996:Survival Rate; D013964:Thyroid Neoplasms / Q000401:mortality* / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery; D013965:Thyroidectomy; D016896:Treatment Outcome