Surgery and radiotherapy improves survival in patients with anaplastic thyroid carcinoma: analysis of the surveillance, epidemiology, and end results 1983-2002.
OBJECTIVE
Anaplastic thyroid carcinoma is associated with a high rate of local recurrence and poor prognosis. This analysis examines the effects of surgery and radiotherapy on survival.


METHODS
Anaplastic thyroid carcinoma patients from the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results database from 1983 to 2002 with > or = 1-month survival after diagnosis who either had surgery performed or recommended were included in the analysis.


RESULTS
Two hundred sixty-one patients met the inclusion criteria for analysis. Median survival was 4 months. Distant or metastatic disease, tumor size >7 cm, and treatment with surgery plus or minus radiotherapy were statistically significant as prognostic for survival on multivariate analysis (P < 0.05). When stratified by extent of disease, the addition of radiotherapy to surgery resulted in improved survival for patients with disease extending into adjacent tissue (P = 0.05); however, patients who had disease confined to the capsule or had further extension or distant metastatic disease did not benefit from radiotherapy after surgery (P > 0.05).


CONCLUSIONS
Surgery and radiotherapy improves survival in patients with anaplastic thyroid carcinoma. Aggressive treatment with surgery and chemoradiation should be encouraged.
Chen
Jergin
J
Department of Radiation Oncology, Huntsman Cancer Institute, Salt Lake City, UT 84112, USA.
Tward
Jonathan D
JD
Shrieve
Dennis C
DC
Hitchcock
Ying J
YJ
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D002277:Carcinoma / Q000401:mortality / Q000532:radiotherapy / Q000601:surgery / Q000628:therapy; D003131:Combined Modality Therapy; D018572:Disease-Free Survival; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008207:Lymphatic Metastasis; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012308:Risk Management; D018426:SEER Program / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D015996:Survival Rate; D013964:Thyroid Neoplasms / Q000401:mortality* / Q000532:radiotherapy / Q000601:surgery / Q000628:therapy*; D013965:Thyroidectomy; D016896:Treatment Outcome