Chemosensitivity of anaplastic thyroid carcinoma and poorly differentiated thyroid carcinoma.
BACKGROUND
The prognosis of anaplastic thyroid carcinoma (ATC) and poorly differentiated thyroid carcinoma (PDTC) is very poor because of their resistance to chemotherapy.


METHODS
We retrospectively evaluated the response to chemotherapy of 14 patients with ATC and examined the in vitro chemosensitivity of primary cultures of one ATC and five PDTCs from six recent patients.


RESULTS
As assessed at one month after treatment, one patient had a partial remission (PR), 3 had no change (NC), and the other 10 progressed (PD). The mean survival of all 14 patients was 3.4 months (PD; 2.3 months, PR or NC; 6 months). Five of the tumors (one ATC and four PDTCs) were resistant to all drugs examined: adriamycin, cisplatin, cyclophosphamide, etoposide, and carboplatin; cells from one PDTC were sensitive to adriamycin alone. Although five patients had administration of anti-cancer agents, none showed a response to chemotherapy.


CONCLUSIONS
most ATCs and PDTCs are very resistant to anti-cancer agents. In vitro chemosensitivity testing may prevent the administration of ineffective chemotherapy.
Asakawa
H
H
Second Department of Internal Medicine, Osaka University Medical School, Japan.
Kobayashi
T
T
Komoike
Y
Y
Maruyama
H
H
Nakano
Y
Y
Tamaki
Y
Y
Matsuzawa
Y
Y
Monden
M
M
D000971:Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D002277:Carcinoma / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000532:radiotherapy; D002945:Cisplatin / Q000008:administration & dosage; D003131:Combined Modality Therapy; D004317:Doxorubicin / Q000008:administration & dosage; D019008:Drug Resistance, Neoplasm; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D013964:Thyroid Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000532:radiotherapy; D014407:Tumor Cells, Cultured
D004317:Doxorubicin; D002945:Cisplatin