title: Survival and Prognostic Factors of Anaplastic Thyroid Carcinoma.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Anaplastic thyroid carcinoma (ATC) is relatively rare and represents one of the most aggressive tumours with poor prognosis, despite therapy. The aim of the study was to analyse demographic and clinical characteristics of ATC patients, and to identify survival rates and prognostic factors.
  
  
  METHODS
  In a retrospective study (1995-2005) ATC was found in 150 patients treated at our institution. Survival was calculated by Kaplan-Meier curve and log-rank test. Potential prognostic factors affecting survival were compared by Cox univariate and multivariate analyses.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Mean survival time was 56 weeks; median survival time was 16 weeks and 1 and 5-year survival were 17% and 8%. More than 10% died during the first month and 50% died up to the fourth month. Multivariate analysis showed that age, goitre and surgery were independent prognostic factors of survival in all ATC patients. Among operated patients, the extent of tumour resection, distant metastasis and multicentricity were independent prognostic risk factors of survival. Postoperative radiotherapy was a protective factor.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  There is still no successful treatment of ATC that can guarantee long term survival. Younger patients with pre-existing goitre, who undergo complete resection of unilocular early stage ATC without distant metastasis and with postoperative external radiotherapy, stand a better chance of long-term survival.
authors.affiliation: a Centre for Endocrine Surgery, Institute of Endocrinology , Serbia.|c Institute of Epidemiology , Serbia.
authors.forename: I R
authors.initials: IR
authors.lastname: Paunovic
authors.affiliation: b School of Medicine, Clinical Centre of Serbia, Koste Todorovica 8, Belgrade, Serbia ; Serbia .
authors.forename: S B
authors.initials: SB
authors.lastname: Sipetic
authors.affiliation: a Centre for Endocrine Surgery, Institute of Endocrinology , Serbia.
authors.forename: G V
authors.initials: GV
authors.lastname: Zoric
authors.affiliation: a Centre for Endocrine Surgery, Institute of Endocrinology , Serbia.|c Institute of Epidemiology , Serbia.
authors.forename: A D
authors.initials: AD
authors.lastname: Diklic
authors.affiliation: a Centre for Endocrine Surgery, Institute of Endocrinology , Serbia.|c Institute of Epidemiology , Serbia.
authors.forename: D V
authors.initials: DV
authors.lastname: Savic
authors.affiliation: d Institute of Medical Statistics and Informatics, School of Medicine, Belgrade University , Serbia.
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Marinkovic
authors.affiliation: a Centre for Endocrine Surgery, Institute of Endocrinology , Serbia.|c Institute of Epidemiology , Serbia.
authors.forename: V R
authors.initials: VR
authors.lastname: Zivaljevic
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D001707:Biopsy, Needle; D002423:Cause of Death; D015331:Cohort Studies; D018572:Disease-Free Survival; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D053208:Kaplan-Meier Estimate; D016015:Logistic Models; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009361:Neoplasm Invasiveness / Q000473:pathology; D009367:Neoplasm Staging; D011379:Prognosis; D016016:Proportional Hazards Models; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D018570:Risk Assessment; D015996:Survival Rate; D065646:Thyroid Carcinoma, Anaplastic / Q000401:mortality* / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery*; D013964:Thyroid Neoplasms / Q000401:mortality* / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery*