title: High efficacy of chemoradiation therapy sensitized by weekly docetaxel for anaplastic thyroid cancer.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Although rare, treatment of anaplastic thyroid carcinoma (ATC) is very difficult due to its aggressiveness and resistance to therapeutic efforts.
  
  
  METHODS
  We reviewed outcomes for six patients who underwent a unique chemoradiotherapy regimen consisting of external irradiation (45 to 60 Gy) combined with concurrent low-dose weekly docetaxel administration at 10 mg/m(2).
  
  
  RESULTS
  The scheduled treatment was completed and showed local disease control in all patients. Two patients showed complete response lasting for 166 and 257 days, three patients showed partial response for 58, 107 and 194 days, and one showed stable disease for 382 days. Overall, patients treated with this chemoradiotherapy survived from 86 to 1,901 days with additional systemic chemotherapy. No toxicities over grade 3 were observed.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This chemoradiotherapy is useful for locoregional control of ATC, while offering acceptable toxicity. The effect lasted temporally but long enough to maintain patients' quality of life for this highly aggressive malignancy.
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgical Oncology, Osaka City University Graduate School of Medicine, 1-4-3 Asahi-machi, Abeno-ku, Osaka 545-8585, Japan. nonoda@med.osaka-cu.ac.jp
authors.forename: Naoyoshi
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Onoda
authors.forename: Shinichiro
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Kashiwagi
authors.forename: Satoru
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Noda
authors.forename: Hidemi
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Kawajiri
authors.forename: Tsutomu
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Takashima
authors.forename: Tetsuro
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Ishikawa
authors.forename: Kosei
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Hirakawa
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000970:Antineoplastic Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D059248:Chemoradiotherapy; D000077143:Docetaxel; D004334:Drug Administration Schedule; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D043823:Taxoids / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D065646:Thyroid Carcinoma, Anaplastic; D013964:Thyroid Neoplasms / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000532:radiotherapy*; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed; D016896:Treatment Outcome
chemical_list: D000970:Antineoplastic Agents; D043823:Taxoids; D000077143:Docetaxel
keywords: Anaplastic thyroid carcinoma; chemoradiation therapy; docetaxel; local control; palliative management