title: Combined treatment of anaplastic thyroid carcinoma with surgery, chemotherapy, and hyperfractionated accelerated external radiotherapy.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To analyze a prospective protocol combining surgery, chemotherapy (CT), and hyperfractionated accelerated radiotherapy (RT) in anaplastic thyroid carcinoma.
  
  
  METHODS
  Thirty anaplastic thyroid carcinoma patients (mean age, 59 years) were treated during 1990-2000. Tumor extended beyond the capsule gland in 26 patients, with tracheal extension in 8. Lymph node metastases were present in 18 patients and lung metastases in 6. Surgery was performed before RT-CT in 20 patients and afterwards in 4. Two cycles of doxorubicin (60 mg/m(2)) and cisplatin (120 mg/m(2)) were delivered before RT and four cycles after RT. RT consisted of two daily fractions of 1.25 Gy, 5 days per week to a total dose of 40 Gy to the cervical lymph node areas and the superior mediastinum.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Acute toxicity (World Health Organization criteria) was Grade 3 or 4 pharyngoesophagitis in 10 patients; Grade 4 neutropenia in 21, with infection in 13; and Grade 3 or 4 anemia and thrombopenia in 8 and 4, respectively. At the end of the treatment, a complete local response was observed in 19 patients. With a median follow-up of 45 months (range, 12-78 months), 7 patients were alive in complete remission, of whom 6 had initially received a complete tumor resection. Overall survival rate at 3 years was 27% (95% confidence interval 10-44%) and median survival 10 months. In multivariate analysis, tracheal extension and macroscopic complete tumor resection were significant factors in overall survival. Death was related to local progression in 5% of patients, to distant metastases in 68%, and to both in 27%.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Main toxicity was hematologic. High long-term survival was obtained when RT-CT was given after complete surgery. This protocol avoided local tumor progression, and death was mainly caused by distant metastases.
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiation Oncology, Institut Gustave-Roussy, Villejuif, France. rdecrevo@mdanderson.org
authors.forename: Renaud
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: De Crevoisier
authors.forename: Eric
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Baudin
authors.forename: Anne
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Bachelot
authors.forename: Sophie
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Leboulleux
authors.forename: Jean-Paul
authors.initials: JP
authors.lastname: Travagli
authors.forename: Bernard
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Caillou
authors.forename: Martin
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Schlumberger
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D000971:Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols / Q000627:therapeutic use; D002277:Carcinoma / Q000473:pathology / Q000628:therapy*; D002945:Cisplatin / Q000008:administration & dosage; D003131:Combined Modality Therapy; D019583:Dose Fractionation, Radiation; D004317:Doxorubicin / Q000008:administration & dosage; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012074:Remission Induction; D013964:Thyroid Neoplasms / Q000473:pathology / Q000628:therapy*; D013965:Thyroidectomy
chemical_list: D004317:Doxorubicin; D002945:Cisplatin