title: Survival in anaplastic thyroid cancer in relation to pre-existing goiter: a population-based study.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  We investigated whether pre-existent goiter and well-differentiated thyroid cancer (WDTC) are associated with survival in anaplastic thyroid carcinoma (ATC).
  
  
  METHODS
  We analyzed medical records from 94 ATC patients, drawn from the Netherlands Cancer Registry, diagnosed in 17 hospitals between 1989 and 2009.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The 29 patients (31%) with pre-existent goiter, including 8 with WDTC, were younger than those without (median, 69 vs. 76 years; P = .02). One-year overall survival was 9% (95% confidence interval [CI], 3% to 14%) with no difference between pre-existent goiter or not (overall survival, 14%; 95% CI, 1% to 26% vs overall survival, 6%; 95% CI, 0% to 13%]). Higher age was associated with a worse survival (hazard rate, 1.03; 95% CI, 1.01 to 1.06]), whereas the hazard to die was lower after surgery and/or radiotherapy (hazard rate, .37; 95% CI, .21 to .67 and hazard rate, .22; 95% CI, .12 to .41, respectively).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  ATC patients with pre-existent goiter were younger, yet survival was not significantly different between those with or without pre-existent goiter or WDTC.
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgical Oncology, University Medical Center Groningen, University of Groningen, Groningen 9700 RB, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: Lars C
authors.initials: LC
authors.lastname: Steggink
authors.affiliation: Department of Epidemiology, University Medical Center Groningen, University of Groningen, Groningen, The Netherlands; Department of Research, Comprehensive Cancer Centre The Netherlands, Utrecht, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: Boukje A C
authors.initials: BA
authors.lastname: van Dijk
authors.affiliation: Department of Endocrinology, University Medical Center Groningen, University of Groningen, Groningen, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: Thera P
authors.initials: TP
authors.lastname: Links
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgical Oncology, University Medical Center Groningen, University of Groningen, Groningen 9700 RB, The Netherlands. Electronic address: j.t.m.plukker@umcg.nl.
authors.forename: John Th M
authors.initials: JT
authors.lastname: Plukker
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D005260:Female; D006042:Goiter / Q000150:complications*; D006801:Humans; D053208:Kaplan-Meier Estimate; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009426:Netherlands / Q000453:epidemiology; D016016:Proportional Hazards Models; D012042:Registries; D015996:Survival Rate; D065646:Thyroid Carcinoma, Anaplastic / Q000150:complications / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000401:mortality* / Q000628:therapy; D013964:Thyroid Neoplasms / Q000150:complications / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000401:mortality* / Q000628:therapy
keywords: Anaplastic thyroid carcinoma; Goiter; Survival