title: A novel chemo-radiotherapy with low-dose daily cisplatin, 5-fluorouracil and doxorubicin for anaplastic thyroid carcinoma: a preliminary report.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Although anaplastic thyroid carcinoma has a dismal prognosis, some patients show favorable survival following multimodal treatment with surgery, external irradiation and chemotherapy. However, no regimen has yet been established. We reviewed outcomes for patients who underwent a unique chemoradiotherapy regimen between 1998 and 2007.
  
  
  METHODS
  The regimen consists of external irradiation (40 Gy at 2 Gy/day) combined with concurrent low-dose cisplatin at 5 mg/m(2) on Days 1-5, 8-12, 15-19 and 22-26, 5-fluorouracil at 200 mg/m(2) on Days 1-26 and doxorubicin at 20 mg/m(2) on Days 1 and 15. This regimen was performed on 21 patients (13 men, 8 women) with anaplastic thyroid carcinoma. Median age at the time of treatment was 66 years (range, 54-81 years).
  
  
  RESULTS
  The treatment regimen was completed in 19 patients (90%) and was interrupted in 2 (10%) due to progressive distant metastases. After excluding 10 patients who underwent complete resection before chemoradiotherapy, 1 patient (11%) showed partial response, 7 (78%) showed stable disease and 1 (11%) had progressive disease on the basis of Response Evaluation Criteria in Solid Tumors. Overall, 6-month survival rate for patients treated with chemoradiotherapy was 57%. With this novel chemoradiotherapy, death from loco-regional disease was seen in only two patients (11%). Grade 3-4 toxicities were observed in 12 patients (63%), but no treatment-related deaths were encountered.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Our new chemoradiotherapy is effective for loco-regional control of anaplastic thyroid carcinoma, particularly when combined with radical surgery. This regimen could not prevent distant metastases, but offers acceptable toxicity while maintaining patient quality of life.
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgery, Shizuoka Saiseikai General Hospital, 1-1-1 Ojika, Suruga-ku, Shizuoka 422-8527, Japan. k154768@siz.saiseikai.or.jp
authors.forename: Kenichiro
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Tanaka
authors.forename: Iwao
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Sugitani
authors.forename: Yoshihide
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Fujimoto
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000971:Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D002277:Carcinoma / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000532:radiotherapy* / Q000601:surgery; D017024:Chemotherapy, Adjuvant; D002945:Cisplatin / Q000008:administration & dosage; D004317:Doxorubicin / Q000008:administration & dosage; D004334:Drug Administration Schedule; D005260:Female; D005472:Fluorouracil / Q000008:administration & dosage; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011788:Quality of Life; D011879:Radiotherapy Dosage; D018714:Radiotherapy, Adjuvant; D016019:Survival Analysis; D013964:Thyroid Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000532:radiotherapy* / Q000601:surgery; D013965:Thyroidectomy; D016896:Treatment Outcome
chemical_list: D004317:Doxorubicin; D002945:Cisplatin; D005472:Fluorouracil