[Personalized approach to anaplastic thyroid carcinoma]

BACKGROUND

Anaplastic thyroid carcinoma (ATC) represents the rarest but most aggressive tumor entity of the thyroid gland. In this respect, the treatment of advanced ATC has rapidly evolved in recent years. Recently, new personalized forms of treatment that address the somatic mutational status of the tumor have been increasingly used. The aim of this article is to provide an overview of current molecular-based and personalized treatment options for ATC.

METHODS

A current literature search was performed with a focus on personalized molecular-based treatment options for ATC.

RESULTS

The majority of patients suffering from ATC have an advanced tumor disease at the time of initial diagnosis. Despite multimodal treatment approaches consisting of surgery, external beam radiation therapy (EBRT) and chemotherapy (CTX), the prognosis of ATC is still poor. Accordingly, the focus of innovative treatment approaches is on molecular-based, individualized tumor therapy, including in particular BRAFV600E and multikinase inhibitors. The potential of the latter seems to lie particularly in combination therapy with immune checkpoint inhibitors. These treatment options can be used in both adjuvant and neoadjuvant settings. Neoadjuvant treatment of advanced ATC can achieve a potentially resectable treatment setting and improve the poor prognosis of affected patients; however, larger prospective and randomized studies on these combination therapies are currently pending.

CONCLUSION

The focus of future treatment approaches for ATC will be on individualized, molecular-based tumor therapy. In particular, the neoadjuvant use of these therapies may change the paradigm of ATC surgery as locally advanced as well as metastatic carcinomas can be converted to a potentially resectable status and made amenable to surgery.

Nanotechnological Advancements for the Theranostic Intervention in Anaplastic Thyroid Cancer: Current Perspectives and Future Direction

Anaplastic thyroid cancer is the rarest, most aggressive, and undifferentiated class of thyroid cancer, accounting for nearly forty percent of all thyroid cancer-related deaths. It is caused by alterations in many cellular pathways like MAPK, PI3K/AKT/mTOR, ALK, Wnt activation, and TP53 inactivation. Although many treatment strategies, such as radiation therapy and chemotherapy, have been proposed to treat anaplastic thyroid carcinoma, they are usually accompanied by concerns such as resistance, which may lead to the lethality of the patient. The emerging nanotechnology-based approaches cater the purposes such as targeted drug delivery and modulation in drug release patterns based on internal or external stimuli, leading to an increase in drug concentration at the site of the action that gives the required therapeutic action as well as modulation in diagnostic intervention with the help of dye property materials. Nanotechnological platforms like liposomes, micelles, dendrimers, exosomes, and various nanoparticles are available and are of high research interest for therapeutic intervention in anaplastic thyroid cancer. The pro gression of the disease can also be traced by using magnetic probes or radio-labeled probes and quantum dots that serve as a diagnostic intervention in anaplastic thyroid cancer.

Liver Mass as First-Time Diagnosis of Sarcomatoid Anaplastic Thyroid Carcinoma: A Rare Malignancy Presenting at an Unexpected Body Site

BACKGROUND Anaplastic thyroid carcinomas are aggressive malignancies associated with poor clinical outcomes and challenges in diagnosis. While local/regional disease in the neck is the most usual site of biopsy, in some cases, distant metastases may be the site of initial investigation. CASE REPORT A 66-year-old woman with a clinical concern for diffuse metastatic malignancy of unknown primary presented to the Emergency Department (ED) with jaundice and shortness of breath. Recent laboratory test results revealed an elevated CA 19-9. Urinalysis revealed hematuria, proteinuria, and hyperbilirubinemia. She had a computed tomography (CT) scan of the chest, abdomen, and pelvis revealing diffuse involvement of the liver, lungs, adrenals, kidneys, thyroid, pancreas, gallbladder, and brain, but had not yet had a biopsy for definitive diagnosis. An ultrasound-guided liver biopsy was evaluated for cytological features, histological features, and pattern of immunostaining. The cytomorphological histological features were concerning for a high-grade malignancy. Immunohistochemical evaluation revealed that the lesion was positive for CK-AE1/AE3, BRAF, CK7, GATA3, SATB2, PAX8, and TTF-1, but the lesion was not reactive to the following stains: napsin, CK20, CDX2, PCEA, calcitonin, ER and thyroglobulin. The patient was diagnosed with a sarcomatoid anaplastic thyroid carcinoma and died within a few days after diagnosis. CONCLUSIONS This case illustrates that unanticipated specific diagnoses of widely metastatic anaplastic thyroid carcinoma are feasible when integration of patient history, clinical setting, imaging findings, clinical laboratory results, cytomorphology, histomorphology, and results of ancillary immunohistochemical testing are thoughtfully pursued and synthesized.

Anaplastic Thyroid Cancer: New Horizons and Challenges

Anaplastic thyroid cancer (ATC) remains one of the most aggressive and deadliest malignancies. Traditionally, treatment consisted of cytotoxic chemotherapy and radiation therapy, with or without surgery, although a large proportion of patients were often directed toward palliative/hospice care. In the past decade, significant advances have been made through the advent of targeted therapies and immunotherapy. For patients with targetable disease and considerable treatment response, surgery and other multidisciplinary adjuvant therapies can now be considered. Overall, the era of untreatable ATC is progressively being replaced by highly personalized multidisciplinary therapies, actively shifting the treatment pendulum of this disease.

Anaplastic Thyroid Carcinoma: Cytomorphologic Features on Fine-Needle Aspiration and Associated Diagnostic Challenges

OBJECTIVES

Anaplastic thyroid carcinoma (ATC) is an aggressive malignancy, and early diagnosis, often aided by fine-needle aspiration (FNA), is key to improving patient prognosis. While the current literature describes some of the cytologic features (CFs) of this entity, a comprehensive examination of the CFs has not yet been performed.

METHODS

We retrospectively searched our electronic database for ATC cases with available slides between January 2008 and December 2019. Cases were examined for 22 CFs and compared with a control group of differentiated thyroid carcinoma.

RESULTS

A total of 18 ATC cases meeting our inclusion criteria were identified. Most cases showed moderate to high cellularity (83%) and epithelioid cytomorphology (83%). Architecture included either predominantly groups/clusters of tumor cells (56%) or single tumor cells (44%). The other CFs were as follows: nuclear enlargement (100%), nuclear crowding (89%), nuclear membrane irregularities (100%), multinucleated tumor cells (33%), and background acute inflammatory cells (50%). Of the CFs examined, statistically significant differences between ATC and the control groups were found in the following: nuclear pleomorphism, coarse/clumped chromatin, macronucleoli, apoptosis, and necrosis.

CONCLUSIONS

Identification of key CFs in FNA coupled with the clinical history aids in the diagnosis of ATC and helps distinguish it from other mimickers.

Effectiveness of core needle biopsy in the diagnosis of thyroid lymphoma and anaplastic thyroid carcinoma: A systematic review and meta-analysis

BACKGROUND

Both anaplastic thyroid carcinoma (ATC) and thyroid lymphoma (TL) clinically present as rapidly enlarging neck masses. Unfortunately, in this situation, like in any other thyroid swelling, a routine fine-needle aspiration (FNA) cytology is the first and only diagnostic test performed at the initial contact in the average thyroid practice. FNA, however, has a low sensitivity in diagnosing ATC and TL, and by the time the often "inconclusive" result is known, precious time has evolved, before going for core-needle biopsy (CNB) or incisional biopsy (IB) as the natural next diagnostic steps.

OBJECTIVES

To determine the diagnostic value of CNB in the clinical setting of a rapidly enlarging thyroid mass, via a systematic review and meta-analysis of the available data on CNB reliability in the differential diagnosis of ATC and TL.

METHODS

A PubMed, Embase and Web of Science database search was performed on June 23th 2021. Population of interest comprised patients who underwent CNB for clinical or ultrasonographical suspicion of ATC or TL, patients with a final diagnosis of ATC or TL after CNB, or after IB following CNB.

RESULTS

From a total of 17 studies, 166 patients were included. One hundred and thirty-six were diagnosed as TL and 14 as ATC following CNB. CNB, with a sensitivity and positive predictive value of 94,3% and 100% for TL and 80,1% and 100% for ATC respectively, proved to be superior to FNA (reported sensitivity for TL of 48% and for ATC of 61%). Furthermore, the need for additional diagnostic surgery after CNB was only 6.2% for TL and 17.6% for ATC.

CONCLUSIONS

Immediately performing CNB for a suspected diagnosis of ATC and TL in a rapidly enlarging thyroid mass is more appropriate and straightforward than a stepped diagnostic pathway using FNA first and awaiting the result before doing CNB.

Response to immunotherapy in a patient with anaplastic thyroid cancer: A case report

RATIONALE

Anaplastic thyroid carcinoma (ATC) is an aggressive malignancy that is almost always fatal and lacks effective systemic treatment options. Current treatments of ATC include surgery, radiation, and chemotherapy, used in combination when possible. In the aspect of immunotherapy, the biomarker of TMB-H and MSI-H may suggest that patients benefit from pembrolizumab. Programmed cell death-ligand 1 (PD-L1) is highly expressed in ATC but has not been written into the guidelines or approved by the FDA as a biomarker for thyroid cancer immunotherapy.

PATIENT CONCERNS

A 55-year-old woman was admitted to our hospital because of a slight right-sided neck enlargement in November 2019.

DIAGNOSES

The clinical diagnosis was ATC, pT3bN0M0, and stage IVB.

INTERVENTIONS

Oral administration of apatinib (250 mg 3 times daily) was initiated after surgery, but some unpleasant side effects emerged after 1 month of treatment. Next-generation sequencing revealed that the tumor harbored 2 mutations, HRAS p.Q61R and TP53 p.P278S, and PD-L1 staining was positive with a high expression. Thus, camrelizumab (programmed cell death protein 1 inhibitor) was combined with apatinib, and apatinib was changed to 250 mg once a day from March 2020.

OUTCOMES

No adverse reactions were observed after the treatment immunotherapy combined with antiangiogenic drugs. Currently, the survival time of patients is more than 11 months, and the quality of life is not affected.

CONCLUSION

This case suggests that immunotherapy in patients with ATC based upon PD-L1 evaluation provides a therapeutic option. Targeting programmed cell death protein 1/PD-L1 may provide a much-needed treatment option for patients with advanced ATC.

Decreasing trends in thyroid cancer incidence in South Korea: What happened in South Korea?

BACKGROUND

South Korea has the highest incidence of thyroid cancer in the world. Our study examined the trends in thyroid cancer incidence by the histologic type, cancer stage, and age group and explored possible factors that affected thyroid cancer trends.

METHODS

We conducted a descriptive epidemiological study using the national cancer registry data and cause of death data from 1999 to 2016 in South Korea. Age-standardized rates were calculated using Segi's world standard population. Joinpoint regression analysis was applied to determine the changing point of thyroid cancer trends according to histologic type; Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) summary stage; and age groups by sex.

RESULTS

The age-standardized incidence of thyroid cancer in both men and women increased from 6.3 per 100,000 people in 1999 to 63.4 per 100,000 in 2012 but declined from 2012 to 2016, before the debates for over diagnosis of thyroid cancer began in 2014. The age-standardized mortality rate of thyroid cancer, incidence of distant thyroid cancer, and incidence of regional and localized thyroid cancer started to decline since early 2000, 2010, and 2012, respectively. In addition, thyroid cancer prevalence in thyroid nodules showed decreasing trends from 1999-2000 to 2013-2014.

CONCLUSIONS

The incidence of thyroid cancer began declining from 2012, before the debates for over diagnosis of thyroid cancer began in 2014. Changes in guidelines for thyroid nodule examinations may have affected this inflection point. Moreover, the debates for over diagnosis of thyroid cancer may have accelerated the decline in thyroid cancer.

[Anaplastic thyroid carcinoma : new therapeutic approaches]

Anaplastic thyroid cancer (ATC) is among the most aggressive cancers with a median overall survival of 4 months and a disease-specific mortality of close to 100%. As soon as the diagnosis is suspected or established, urgent referral to an experienced multidisciplinary center is imperative. Chemotherapy has limited efficacy. Molecular analyses, together with the availability of novel targeted therapies and immunotherapies, now permit to improve outcomes. In particular, targeted therapy with dabrafenib and trametinib is indicated as first-line therapy for BRAF V600E-mutated ATC.

Treatment of anaplastic thyroid cancer with tyrosine kinase inhibitors targeted on the tumor vasculature: initial experience in clinical practice

Anaplastic thyroid cancer (ATC) is a rarely occurring refractory disease. While recent clinical trials have demonstrated the efficacy of tyrosine kinase inhibitor (TKI) therapy for ATC, evidence is scarce in clinical practice. In this study, we reviewed our initial experiences with TKI treatment in ATC patients with the aim of revealing the efficacy and safety of the same in clinical practice. We retrospectively reviewed our experiences with TKI treatment use in ATC patients diagnosed at our institute from 2014 to 2019. Changes in the patients' neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR) by TKI therapy introduction as well as their clinical factors to indicate the efficacy were examined. Seven patients showed no indication for TKI treatment, while 13 (65%) received treatment. The median duration of TKI treatment was 1.9 months. All patients died, and the overall survival period from diagnosis was 4.7 (95% confidence interval: 2.0-11.5) months. Adverse events ≥Grade 3 were observed commonly (92.3%), and resulted in the termination of TKI treatment in six cases (46.1%). Existence of multiple unfavorable characteristics (higher Prognostic Index) was associated with poor survival. The NLR decreased after the introduction of TKIs and increased again when treatment failed. The response rate to TKI among the ATC patients were approximately 30% in practice. Although the duration of the response was short, several patients demonstrated long survival durations when TKI treatment was provided after successful multidisciplinary treatment to control local disease. Decreases in high NLR values during treatment may suggest the continued effect of TKIs.

Identification of key pathways and biomarkers in anaplastic thyroid cancer using an integrated analysis

PURPOSE

Thyroid carcinoma (THCA) is one of the most common endocrine tumours with high morbidity worldwide. Anaplastic thyroid cancer (ATC) is the most fatal and has the poorest prognosis of the four THCA types, as it lacks effective treatments. Early screening of ATC is problematic and so identifying ATC biomarkers is increasingly crucial.

METHODS

We performed a systematic search of the thyroid transcriptome in the Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) database and an integrative analysis of gene expression profiles. Moreover, we conducted a pathway enrichment analysis in ATC using the WEB-based GEne SeT AnaLysis Toolkit. We identified the intersections of all the differentially expressed genes (DEGs) between ATC and normal samples and DEGs between ATC and non-ATC samples in the Search Tool for the Retrieval of Interacting Genes/Proteins (STRING). Finally, we used Cytoscape software to visualize the protein-protein interaction (PPI) network.

RESULTS

Six gene expression datasets containing 131 thyroid cancer samples and 98 normal control samples were collected to identify the significant DEGs. A total of 1489 DEGs were identified between ATC and normal samples, and 522 DEGs between ATC and non-ATC samples. ATC showed a greater association with the cell cycle. The Principal component analysis (PCA) results revealed 222 genes with substantial contributions to the identification of ATC.

CONCLUSION

Cell cycle plays a decisive role in the high mortality rate of ATC. TOP2A, NUSAP1, PBK, KIF15, CENPF, CEP55, CDK1, CCNB2, CDCA8 and CDC20 were identified as hub genes.

Multimodal imaging of thyroid cancer

PURPOSE OF REVIEW

Thyroid cancer is the most common endocrine cancer in adults with rising incidence. Challenges in imaging thyroid cancer are twofold: distinguishing thyroid cancer from benign thyroid nodules, which occur in 50% of the population over 50 years; and correct staging of thyroid cancer to facilitate appropriate radical surgery in a single session. The clinical management of thyroid cancer patients has been covered in detail by the 2015 guidelines of the American Thyroid Association (ATA). The purpose of this review is to state the principles underlying optimal multimodal imaging of thyroid cancer and aid clinicians in avoiding important pitfalls.

RECENT FINDINGS

Recent additions to the literature include assessment of ultrasound-based scoring systems to improve selection of nodules for fine needle biopsy (FNB) and the evaluation of new radioactive tracers for imaging thyroid cancer.

SUMMARY

The mainstay of diagnosing thyroid cancer is thyroid ultrasound with ultrasound-guided FNB. Contrast-enhanced computed tomography and PET with [F]-fluorodeoxyglucose (FDG) and MRI are reserved for advanced and/or recurrent cases of differentiated thyroid cancer and anaplastic thyroid cancer, while [F]FDOPA and [Ga]DOTATOC are the preferred tracers for medullary thyroid cancer.

Anaplastic thyroid carcinoma with leucocytosis

BACKGROUND

Anaplastic thyroid carcinoma is a high-grade tumour with poor prognosis. Most of the cases are easily diagnosed on cytology and some of these are associated with increased neutrophils in cytology specimen as well as in the blood. The objective of the study is to determine the frequency of neutrophilia with fever in anaplastic thyroid carcinoma.

METHODS

This descriptive cross-sectional study was performed in the Department of Pathology Ayub Teaching Hospital Abbottabad as well as in association with Advance lab Abbottabad. All the cases diagnosed as anaplastic thyroid carcinoma on cytology were included, histopathological examination was done only in 5 cases. The duration of study was from October 2016 to October 2019 were included in the study.

RESULTS

Out of 150 cases of thyroid cytology 09 were diagnosed as anaplastic thyroid carcinoma. The mean age of patients was 65.7±6.96. Gender distribution was 5/9 (55.6%) males and 4/9 (44.4%) were females. Out of which 05 were confirmed on histopathology 3 patients died within a month and 1 patient refused a biopsy. All of these cases were associated with an increased number of neutrophils on cytology and WBC count is 04 cases showed leucocytosis. All of them presented with rapidly growing mass in long-standing goitre with a median duration of 2 months. Weight loss was seen in 4/9 (44.44%), 3/9 (33.33%) presented with hoarseness of voice while only 1/9 (11.1%) patient presented with superior vena caval syndrome.

CONCLUSION

In long-standing goitre rapid increase in size with fever and leucocytosis are suggestive of anaplastic thyroid carcinoma which should be investigated promptly.

Dissecting Anaplastic Thyroid Carcinoma: A Comprehensive Clinical, Histologic, Immunophenotypic, and Molecular Study of 360 Cases

Background: Anaplastic thyroid carcinoma (ATC) is nearly always fatal. Large studies on ATC are exceedingly rare. We aimed to study the clinical, genotypic, and histologic characteristics of ATC in the largest retrospective cohort of ATC to date. Methods: Three hundred sixty patients with ATC from two tertiary centers were studied. Molecular testing was performed in 126 cases including 107 using next-generation sequencing. Results: The median patients' age was 68 years. Differentiated thyroid carcinoma (DTC) was present in 208 cases (58%), the most common being papillary carcinoma (n = 150). The 1-, 2-, 3-, and 5-year overall survival (OS) was 36%, 17%, 13%, and 11%, respectively. On univariate analysis, age, resectability, chemotherapy, radiotherapy, margin status, encapsulation, gross residual disease, gross extrathyroidal extension, percentage, and size of ATC in the primary tumor predicted OS (p < 0.05). Age, resectability, chemotherapy, and gross residual disease were independent prognostic factors in the entire cohort, while gross residual disease was the only independent predictor of OS in patients who had resection of their tumor. BRAF, RAS, TERT promoter, TP53, PIK3CA, E1F1AX, and PTEN mutations were detected in 45%, 24%, 75%, 63%, 18%, 14%, and 14% of ATC, respectively. Concomitant BRAF/RAS and TERT mutations were associated with worse outcome than mutation in only one of the genes. BRAF-mutated and RAS-mutated ATCs had similar frequency of nodal and distant metastasis. Twelve cases were pure squamous cell carcinoma, 60% of which carried BRAF^V600E mutation and showed a similar OS to other ATCs. Conclusions: (i) Gross residual disease remains the most crucial indicator of outcome in ATC. (ii) Encapsulation, margin status, percentage, and size of ATC in the primary were prognostically relevant. (iii) Pure thyroid squamous cell carcinoma may be considered as ATC given a BRAF^V600E genotype and similar outcome. (iv) In contrast to DTC, BRAF-mutated and RAS-mutated ATCs have similar metastatic spread. (v) Concomitant mutations of BRAF or RAS with TERT confer a worse prognosis.

Inflammatory biomarkers and dynamics of neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio in anaplastic thyroid carcinoma

PURPOSE

Studies have shown that inflammatory biomarkers, such as neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR), platelet-to-lymphocyte ratio (PLR), and lymphocyte-to-monocyte ratio (LMR), are associated with prognosis or treatment efficacy in various cancers. The present study investigated the association between the inflammatory biomarkers and dynamics of NLR, and prognosis or disease progression in anaplastic thyroid carcinoma (ATC).

METHODS

This study included 55 patients with ATC who had available complete blood count (CBC) data. Overall survival based on inflammatory biomarker value, and the dynamics of NLR among patients with ATC were investigated. Change in NLR was obtained by subtracting the baseline value from the max value obtained during follow-up period, and we subclassified 51 ATC patients who had follow-up CBC data into the increased group (change of NLR > 5.5) and non-increased group (change of NLR ≤ 5.5).

RESULTS

There were no significant differences in OS according to baseline NLR, PLR, and LMR values. Among the 51 patients with ATC who had follow-up CBC data, the median OS was 7.7 [95% confidence interval (CI): 5.2-12.1] months in the increased group (n = 27), versus 23.5 [95% CI: 13.9-not available] months in the non-increased (n = 24) group (p < 0.001).

CONCLUSIONS

The present study found no association between baseline inflammatory biomarkers and OS among patients with ATC. However, ATC patients whose NLR increased compared with individual baseline during follow-up period had worse prognosis than non-increased patients.

Histopathologic Features and Clinical Outcome of Anaplastic Thyroid Carcinoma with a Minor Anaplastic Component

Although prior studies have reported that patients with anaplastic thyroid carcinoma (ATC) with a focal anaplastic component may have a prolonged survival compared to other ATC patients, the outcome data are limited. We evaluated a cohort of ATC resected between 2003 and 2018. Tumor slides were reviewed to confirm the diagnosis and to identify cases with a minor ATC component (defined as comprising < 10% of the tumor). We evaluated the clinical outcome of these patients compared to that of all other cohort patients (characterized as having conventional ATC). Our cohort was composed of 24 cases of ATC that underwent resection, including 8 (33%) with a minor ATC component. Tumors with a minor ATC component were predominantly associated with papillary thyroid carcinoma. For patients with tumors with a minor ATC component, the 1-year and 2-year survival rates and median survival for patients who died of disease were 88%, 43%, and 17 months (range 6-73 months), respectively. In comparison, for patients with conventional ATC, the 1-year and 2-year survival rates and median survival for patients who died of disease were 56%, 44%, and 7 months (range 2-26 months), respectively. There was no difference in 1- and 2-year survival or overall survival by Kaplan-Meier analysis for patients with tumors with a minor ATC component and those with conventional ATC. In conclusion, the difference in overall survival between ATC groups in our cohort was not significant; however, this could be due to the small cohort size or due to characteristics of our group with a minor ATC component; that is, no tumors in this group were limited to the thyroid (stage IVA), resectability with negative margins was infrequent, and 38% of this group had distant metastases at diagnosis (stage IVC).

Histological features of BRAF V600E-mutant anaplastic thyroid carcinoma

AIMS

Treatment with a BRAF inhibitor, alone or in combination with a MEK inhibitor, may be considered for BRAF-mutant anaplastic thyroid carcinoma (ATC). The purpose of this study was to characterise the histology of BRAF V600E-mutant ATC.

METHODS AND RESULTS

We identified 28 ATC that were consecutively resected between 2003 and 2019. All tumour slides for each case were evaluated for the presence of a precursor tumour and for ATC morphology (sarcomatoid, pleomorphic giant cell, epithelioid or squamous). BRAF V600E mutation status was determined by BRAF V600E IHC or molecular analysis (OncoPanel NGS). Eighteen (64%) ATC had an associated well-differentiated precursor, including 10 (36%) with associated papillary thyroid carcinoma (PTC) and eight (29%) with associated follicular thyroid carcinoma (FTC) or Hürthle cell carcinoma (HCC). Most ATC (19 cases, 68%) demonstrated a mixed anaplastic morphology. Squamous morphology was present in four cases. Ten (36%) ATC had a BRAF V600E mutation. All ATC that had a PTC precursor had a BRAF V600E mutation (and all ATC with a BRAF V600E mutation had a PTC precursor), whereas no ATC with an FTC or HCC precursor had a BRAF V600E mutation. All four cases of ATC with a squamous morphology had a PTC precursor and a BRAF V600E mutation.

CONCLUSION

In our cohort, the presence of a PTC precursor predicted the presence of the BRAF V600E mutation, whereas ATC with an FTC or HCC precursor lacked a BRAF V600E mutation. A squamous morphology was associated with the presence of a PTC precursor and a BRAF V600E mutation.

The role of immune checkpoint inhibitors in anaplastic thyroid cancer (Case Series)

Anaplastic thyroid carcinoma (ATC) is a rare type of thyroid neoplasm. However, it is one of the most aggressive forms of malignancy accounting for approximately 50% of mortality associated with all thyroid cancers. Here we report two cases of ATC treated with immune checkpoint inhibitors. Next generation sequencing identified BRAFV600E mutation in one of the patients who also derived benefit from BRAF targeted therapy. We here discuss these cases highlighting the importance of expert pathological review, utilizing molecular testing to identify the underlying genetic targets for personalized therapy, and the potential role of PD-1 inhibitors for the treatment of ATC.

PAX8 expression in anaplastic thyroid carcinoma is less than those reported in early studies: a multi-institutional study of 182 cases using the monoclonal antibody MRQ-50

Anaplastic thyroid carcinoma (ATC) is an aggressive malignant tumor composed of undifferentiated thyroid follicular cells. Pathological diagnosis of ATC can be challenging as the tumor may show morphological overlap with other neoplasms with anaplastic morphology. Immunohistochemical demonstration of thyroid origin facilitates the diagnosis of ATC. Previous studies using the polyclonal anti-PAX8 antibody 10336-1-AP suggested that PAX8 was the most sensitive marker, expressed in up to 80% of ATC. According to a 2018 NordiQC report, the monoclonal anti-PAX8 antibody MRQ-50 has become the most commonly used anti-PAX8 antibody worldwide. However, validation of this antibody in ATC is lacking. In this study, we recruited 182 ATC cases from seven institutions. Pathology slides were subjected to histology review. PAX8 immunohistochemistry using the MRQ-50 antibody was performed in whole tissue slides (n = 147) or tissue microarray sections (n = 35). We found PAX8 expression in 54.4% of the cases, which was significantly lower than those reported in prior studies with the polyclonal antibody. PAX8 expression was positively correlated with the presence of an epithelial pattern (63.6% vs 37.5%, p = 0.0008) and a coexisting differentiated thyroid carcinoma component (71.6% vs 44.3%, p = 0.0004), but was not associated with age, gender, specimen type, or presence of giant cell and sarcomatoid patterns. In conclusion, we demonstrated PAX8 expression using the monoclonal antibody MRQ-50 in only half of the cases in a large ATC series. Pathologists should be aware that PAX8 expression in ATC is less than those reported in early studies to avoid misdiagnosis.

Anaplastic Thyroid Cancer: A Rare Entity Presented Clinically Only with Fever and Elevated CRP

Anaplastic thyroid carcinoma (ATC) is a rare but almost invariably lethal disease. In this manuscript, we present a case where the dominant manifestation of ATC beside the goitre was elevated CRP values and a persistent low-grade fever. The patient underwent surgical removal of the tumour, chemotherapy and radiotherapy treatment. She is still alive and healthy 11 months after the surgery. We aim to demonstrate that ATC can be present with no specific symptoms or findings and to raise awareness towards an earlier diagnosis.

An unsuspicious thyroid nodule with fatal outcome

INTRODUCTION

Over the last few years, several scientific societies have introduced specific evaluation systems to stratify the risk of malignancy of thyroid nodules. Most of these classifications have been created on the basis of ultrasonographic features of the commonest thyroid carcinoma histotype. Herein, we report a case of anaplastic thyroid carcinoma presenting at ultrasound (US) examination as an unsuspicious thyroid nodule associated with distant metastases, which was followed by the patient's death a short time later.

CASE REPORT

A 77-year-old woman, because of worsening weight loss and vague abdominal pain, underwent a whole-body computed tomography scan, which revealed a large mass adherent to the large bowel, multiple pulmonary nodules, and a solitary thyroid nodule of the left lobe. On US, a round, well-defined, mixed solid-cystic, isoechoic lesion with a maximum diameter of 45 mm and peripheral vascularity was confirmed. No microcalcifications, extrathyroidal extension, cervical lateral lymphadenopathy, tracheal deviation, or compression were found. The nodule was classified as low or very low risk according to six US malignancy risk classification systems. Although only two of these recommended fine-needle aspiration cytology, on the basis of a dimensional criterion, the procedure was performed, the cytology report suggesting anaplastic cancer. Following total thyroidectomy, the histological examination revealed the presence of a follicular thyroid carcinoma with diffuse areas of anaplastic dedifferentiation.

CONCLUSION

This case highlights the importance of defining the US characteristics of rare variants of thyroid neoplasms, since an early diagnosis is decisive in defining the patient's prognosis.

Poorly Differentiated Carcinoma of the Thyroid Gland: Current Status and Future Prospects

BACKGROUND

Poorly differentiated thyroid cancer (PDTC) is a rare but clinically highly significant entity because it accounts for most fatalities from non-anaplastic follicular cell-derived thyroid cancer. Due to the relative rarity of the disease and heterogeneous diagnostic criteria, studies on PDTC have been limited. In light of the evolution of ultra-deep next-generation sequencing technologies and through correlation of clinicopathologic and genomic characteristics of PDTC, an improved understanding of the biology of PDTC has been facilitated. Here, the diagnostic criteria, clinicopathologic characteristics, management, and outcomes in PDTC, as well as genomic drivers in PDTC reported in recent next-generation sequencing studies, are reviewed. In addition, future prospects in improving the outcomes in PDTC patients are reviewed.

SUMMARY

PDTC patients tend to present with adverse clinicopathologic characteristics: older age, male predominance, advanced locoregional disease, and distant metastases. Surgery with clearance of all gross disease can achieve satisfactory locoregional control. However, the majority of PDTC patients die of distant disease. Five-year disease-specific survival for PDTC patients has been reported at 66%. On multivariate analysis, reported predictors of poor survival in PDTC patients have been older age (>45 years), T4a pathological stage, extrathyroidal extension, high mitotic rate, tumor necrosis, and distant metastasis at presentation. BRAF^V600E or RAS mutations (27% and 24% of cases, respectively) remain mutually exclusive main drivers in PDTC. TERT promoter mutations represent the most common alteration in PDTC (40%). Mutation in translation initiation factor EIF1AX (11%) and tumor suppressor TP53 (16%) have also been reported in PDTC. High rates of novel mutations (MED12 and RBM10) have been reported in fatal PDTC (15% and 12%, respectively). Chromosome 1q gains represent the most common arm-level alterations in PDTC, and those patients show worse survival rates. Chromosome 22q losses are also found in PDTC and show strong association with RAS mutation.

CONCLUSIONS

These new insights into the clinicopathologic and molecular characteristics of PDTC, together with further advancement in ultra-deep sequencing technologies, will be conducive in narrowing the focus in order to develop novel targeted therapies and improve the outcomes in PDTC patients.

Diagnosis and Management of Anaplastic Thyroid Cancer

Anaplastic thyroid cancer (ATC) is a devastating and usually incurable diagnosis. Clinical and pathologic diagnosis is best assessed at a tertiary center with concentrated ATC expertise. Expeditious multidisciplinary management is recommended for optimal patient outcomes. Based on multiinstitutional and population-based studies, multimodal therapy that includes chemoradiotherapy with surgery (when feasible) is the preferred initial treatment because it is associated with incrementally improved overall survival. In ATC that carries a BRAF V600E somatic mutation, combination therapy with BRAF and MEK inhibitors has shown promise but needs further study. Immunotherapeutic agents in neoadjuvant and metastatic settings are being investigated.

Therapeutic advances in anaplastic thyroid cancer: a current perspective

Thyroid cancer incidence is increasing at an alarming rate, almost tripling every decade. In 2017, it was the fifth most common cancer in women. Although the majority of thyroid tumors are curable, about 2-3% of thyroid cancers are refractory to standard treatments. These undifferentiated, highly aggressive and mostly chemo-resistant tumors are phenotypically-termed anaplastic thyroid cancer (ATC). ATCs are resistant to standard therapies and are extremely difficult to manage. In this review, we provide the information related to current and recently emerged first-line systemic therapy (Dabrafenib and Trametinib) along with promising therapeutics which are in clinical trials and may be incorporated into clinical practice in the future. Different categories of promising therapeutics such as Aurora kinase inhibitors, multi-kinase inhibitors, epigenetic modulators, gene therapy using oncolytic viruses, apoptosis-inducing agents, and immunotherapy are reviewed. Combination treatment options that showed synergistic and antagonistic effects are also discussed. We highlight ongoing clinical trials in ATC and discuss how personalized medicine is crucial to design the second line of treatment. Besides using conventional combination therapy, embracing a personalized approach based on advanced genomics and proteomics assessment will be crucial to developing a tailored treatment plan to improve the chances of clinical success.

Genetic Analysis of 779 Advanced Differentiated and Anaplastic Thyroid Cancers

Purpose: To define the genetic landscape of advanced differentiated and anaplastic thyroid cancer (ATC) and identify genetic alterations of potential diagnostic, prognostic, and therapeutic significance.Experimental Design: The genetic profiles of 583 advanced differentiated and 196 ATCs generated with targeted next-generation sequencing cancer-associated gene panels MSK-IMPACT and FoundationOne were analyzed.Results: ATC had more genetic alterations per tumor, and pediatric papillary thyroid cancer had fewer genetic alterations per tumor when compared with other thyroid cancer types. DNA mismatch repair deficit and activity of APOBEC cytidine deaminases were identified as mechanisms associated with high mutational burden in a subset of differentiated thyroid cancers and ATCs. Copy number losses and mutations of CDKN2A and CDKN2B, amplification of CCNE1, amplification of receptor tyrosine kinase genes KDR, KIT, and PDGFRA, amplification of immune evasion genes CD274, PDCD1LG2, and JAK2, and activating point mutations in small GTPase RAC1 were associated with ATC. An association of KDR, KIT, and PDGFRA amplification with the sensitivity of thyroid cancer cells to lenvatinib was shown in vitro Three genetically distinct types of ATCs are proposed.Conclusions: This large-scale analysis describes genetic alterations in a cohort of thyroid cancers enriched in advanced cases. Many novel genetic events previously not seen in thyroid cancer were found. Genetic alterations associated with anaplastic transformation were identified. An updated schematic of thyroid cancer genetic evolution is proposed. Clin Cancer Res; 24(13); 3059-68. ©2018 AACR.

Rare Manifestations of Anaplastic Thyroid Carcinoma: the Role of BRAF Mutation Analysis

Anaplastic thyroid carcinoma (ATC) is difficult to distinguish from other cancers, especially when its pathological features are atypical for ATC or when the tumor is totally undifferentiated and occurs after a considerable lapse of time, in an area remote from the original site of the tumor. Here, we present two patients (68-year-old man and 56-year-old woman) with rare manifestations of ATC, which were initially thought to be other malignancies. Immunohistochemical tests, using various markers, failed to provide information about the origin of these tumors. However, both patients had a history of papillary thyroid carcinoma (PTC) from several years ago and BRAF mutations were observed in the undifferentiated tumors, as well as in the previous PTCs. Therefore, we could make a diagnosis of ATC derived from PTC. As such, BRAF mutation analysis may serve as a useful tool for ATC diagnosis in challenging ATC cases.

The diagnostic ability of core needle biopsy in nodular thyroid disease

INTRODUCTION Non-diagnostic results of fine needle aspiration biopsy (FNAB) remain an important limitation of this technqiue. The aim of our study was to evaluate the results of core needle biopsy (CNB) of thyroid nodules and its effectiveness in non-diagnostic FNAB cases. METHODS CNBs were performed in 1,000 patients (154 male, 846 female; mean age: 50.2 years, range: 18-86 years) with a spring loaded 20G needle. Of these, 143 had initially had FNABs that were insufficient for evaluation. The CNB reports were reviewed. Patients with suspicious or malignant CNB results underwent total thyroidectomy. RESULTS When considering all 1,000 CNBs, the non-diagnostic rate was 1.5% (15/1,000). However, when the first 100 cases were eliminated as a learning curve, this reduced to 0.9% (8/900). Of the 143 cases with initial FNABs that were non-diagnostic, 0.7% (1/143) were also non-diagnostic on CNB. Twelve patients underwent surgery because of malignant CNB reports and all of these cases were confirmed as malignant by the postoperative pathology specimen results (100% accuracy). There were no major complications although three self-limiting minor complications were observed. CONCLUSIONS CNB is a safe and accurate method. It is more diagnostic than FNAB for nodular thyroid disease.

Clinical presentation, treatment and outcome of anaplastic thyroid carcinoma: results of a multicenter study in Germany

CONTEXT

Anaplastic thyroid carcinoma (ATC) is an orphan disease and confers a dismal prognosis. Standard treatment is not established.

OBJECTIVE

The aim of this study is to describe clinical characteristics, current treatment regimens and outcome of ATC and to identify clinical prognostic markers and treatment factors associated with improved prognosis.

DESIGN

Retrospective cohort study at five German tertiary care centers.

PATIENTS AND METHODS

Totally 100 ATC patients diagnosed between 2000 and 2015 were included in the analysis. Disease-specific overall survival (OS) was compared with the Kaplan-Meier method and log-rank test; Cox proportional hazard model was used to identify risk factors.

RESULTS

The 6-month, 1-year and 5-year disease-specific OS rates were 37, 28 and 5%, respectively. Stage-dependent OS at 6 months was 78, 54 and 18% for stage IVA, B and C, respectively. 29% patients survived >1 year. Multivariate analysis of OS identified age ≥70 years, incomplete local resection status and the presence of distant metastasis as significant risk factors associated with shorter survival. Radical surgery (hazard ratio [HR] 2.20, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.19-4.09, P = 0.012), external beam radiation therapy (EBRT) ≥40 Gy (HR = 0.34, 0.15-0.76, P = 0.008) and any kind of chemotherapy (CTX) (HR = 11.64, 2.42-60.39, P = 0.003) were associated with longer survival in multivariate analyses adjusted for age and tumor stage. A multimodal treatment regimen was significantly associated with a survival benefit (HR = 1.04, 1.01-1.08, P < 0.0001) only in IVC patients.

CONCLUSION

Disease-specific OS is still poor in ATC. Treatment factors associated with improved OS provide a rationale to devise treatment pathways for routine care. Collaborative research structures should be aimed to advance treatment of ATC.

Treatment and Prognosis of Anaplastic Thyroid Carcinoma: A Clinical Study of 50 Cases

INTRODUCTION

Although anaplastic thyroid carcinoma (ATC) is rare, it is one of the most aggressive human cancers. The optimal multimodal therapy policy of ATC is still debated, and a standardized treatment strategy remains to be established. This study aimed to evaluate the management aspect and prognosis of ATC.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

The data were analyzed retrospectively for 50 patients with ATC to evaluate the clinical characters, management and factors influencing survival. Survival analysis was performed by Kaplan-Merier method and log-rank test, and multivariate analysis was performed using Cox proportional hazard model.

RESULTS

The 1-year and 2-year overall survival rates (OS) were 48.0% and 26.0% respectively in all patients, with the 2-year OS of 40.0% and 31.0% and 6.3% for stage IVA, IVB and IVC respectively (P <0.05). In stage IVA and IVB patients, combined surgery with radiotherapy improved overall survival, and the 2-year OS were 50.0% and 35.7% respectively in the group with combined surgery with radiotherapy and the group with surgery with only (P <0.05). Postoperative radiotherapy improved local control rate in stage IVA and IVB patients (P <0.05). However, surgery, radiotherapy or chemotherapy could not improve the survival of stage IVC patients. Multivariate analysis showed that distant metastases, surgery, radiotherapy and tumor residue could predict the prognosis.

CONCLUSION

Combined surgery and radiotherapy could improve overall survival in stage IVA and IVB patients. Patients with ATC have a bad prognosis. Distant metastases, surgery, radiotherapy and tumor residue are the most important factors affecting the prognosis.

Tumor-Infiltrating T Cells and the PD-1 Checkpoint Pathway in Advanced Differentiated and Anaplastic Thyroid Cancer

CONTEXT

Five to 10% of patients with differentiated thyroid cancers (DTC) develop invasive and/or distant metastatic disease that is marginally improved with standard therapies. Prognosis is poor for patients with anaplastic thyroid cancer, with a median survival of 3-5 months. We suggest that a paradigm shift is necessary in the treatment of advanced cases.

OBJECTIVE

We hypothesized that a T-cell response is generated in advanced thyroid cancer and may be a viable therapeutic target.

DESIGN

Primary DTCs were analyzed by quantitative RT-PCR (n = 92) for expression of CD3, CD8, forkhead box (Fox)-P3, programmed death (PD)-1, PD-1 ligand-1, and PD-1 ligand-2 and biopsied for cellular analysis by flow cytometry (n = 11). Advanced pT4 cases (n = 22) and metastases (n = 5) were analyzed by immunohistochemistry.

SETTING

The study was conducted at the University of Colorado Hospital.

PATIENTS

Thyroid cancer patients undergoing thyroidectomy or completion surgery for advanced disease between 2002 and 2013 participated in the study.

INTERVENTION

There were no interventions.

MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE

Immune markers were analyzed for association with disease severity.

RESULTS

Immune markers were commonly expressed at the RNA level. PD-L1 was higher (P = .0443) in patients with nodal metastases. FoxP3(+) (P < .0001), PD-1(+)CD8(+) (P = .0058), and PD-1(+)CD4(+) (P = .0104) T cells were enriched in DTC biopsies. CD8(+) and FoxP3(+) T cells were detected by immunohistochemistry in all pT4 tumors and a subset of metastases. PD-1(+) lymphocytes were found in 50% of DTCs. PD-L1 was expressed by tumor and associated leukocytes in 13 of 22 cases, and expression was more diffuse in anaplastic thyroid cancer (P = .0373). BRAF(V600E) mutation was associated with higher frequencies of tumor-associated lymphocytes (P = .0095) but not PD-L1 expression.

CONCLUSIONS

PD-1 checkpoint blockades may have therapeutic efficacy in patients with aggressive forms of thyroid cancer.

Anaplastic Thyroid Carcinoma, Version 2.2015

This selection from the NCCN Clinical Practice Guidelines in Oncology (NCCN Guidelines) for Thyroid Carcinoma focuses on anaplastic carcinoma because substantial changes were made to the systemic therapy recommendations for the 2015 update. Dosages and frequency of administration are now provided, docetaxel/doxorubicin regimens were added, and single-agent cisplatin was deleted because it is not recommended for patients with advanced or metastatic anaplastic thyroid cancer.

Expression of leptin and its receptor in thyroid carcinoma: distinctive prognostic significance in different subtypes

OBJECTIVE

To investigate the potential prognostic significance of leptin and its receptor (Ob-R) in thyroid carcinoma.

PATIENTS AND METHODS

The study cohort consisted of 173 patients including 93 cases with papillary thyroid carcinoma (PTC), 41 cases with follicular thyroid carcinoma (FTC), 25 cases with medullary thyroid carcinoma (MTC) and 14 cases with anaplastic thyroid carcinoma (ATC). We investigated the correlation between clinicopathological features and leptin or Ob-R. The Kaplan-Meier method was used to analyse the survival rate.

RESULTS

There was a strong correlation of leptin expression with Ob-R expression in PTC, FTC and ATC. For PTC, leptin expression was strongly correlated with older age, larger tumour size, nodal metastasis and advanced stage. Ob-R was significantly correlated with larger tumour size, nodal metastasis and advanced stage. The 5-year disease-free survival (DFS) rate in patients with positive leptin or its receptor expression was lower than that in patients without expression (with statistical difference). For FTC, patients with positive leptin or Ob-R expression developed no recurrence or metastasis during the follow-up. For MTC, Ob-R was significantly correlated with nodal metastasis and advanced stage (P < 0·05). For ATC, patients with positive Ob-R expression had longer median DFS than those with negative expression (436 ± 185 vs 57 ± 71 days), and the difference in the survival rate was statistically significant (P < 0·05).

CONCLUSIONS

There was a strong correlation of leptin expression with Ob-R expression in PTC, FTC and ATC. Leptin and Ob-R had negative prognostic significance in PTC, while Ob-R may play a protective role in ATC.

Survival and prognostic factors of anaplastic thyroid carcinoma

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.

Expression of cancer stem cell markers and epithelial-mesenchymal transition-related factors in anaplastic thyroid carcinoma

BACKGROUND

Anaplastic thyroid carcinoma (ATC) is an undifferentiated tumor of the thyroid that has poor prognosis owing to its aggressive behavior and resistance to current treatments. We hypothesized that the stem cell properties induced by the epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) was one of reasons for the dismal outcome of ATC.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Paraffin blocks and slides of 17 ATC cases were retrieved. We also collected 60 cases of papillary thyroid carcinoma (PTC) for comparison. We used immunohistochemistry to examine the expression of multiple markers of cancer stem cells and EMT-activating transcriptional factors.

RESULTS

Majority of ATC cases showed loss of epithelial (E)-cadherin expression (15/17); however, all PTC cases (60/60) retained E-cadherin expression. EMT-activating transcription factors, such as snail and slug, were more frequently expressed in ATC than PTC cases (35.3% versus 6.7%, 76.5% versus 5%, respectively). Cancer stem cell markers such as CD133 and nestin were more highly expressed in ATC than PTC (52.9% versus 5%, 52.9% versus 0%, respectively).

CONCLUSION

We found that the expression of EMT-related factors and stem cell markers was higher in ATC than PTC. We therefore conclude that stemness induced by EMT plays an important role in the pathogenesis of ATC.

Acute exacerbation of Hashimoto thyroiditis mimicking anaplastic carcinoma of the thyroid: A complicated case

The fibrous variant of Hashimoto thyroiditis is uncommon, accounting for approximately 10% of all cases of Hashimoto thyroiditis. We report a case of this variant that behaved like a malignant neoplasm. The patient was a 69-year-old man who presented with a right-sided anterior neck mass that had been rapidly growing for 2 weeks. Fine-needle aspiration cytology revealed clusters of large multinucleated cells suggestive of an anaplastic carcinoma. A week after presentation, we ruled out that possibility when the mass had shrunk slightly. Instead, we diagnosed the patient with an acute exacerbation of Hashimoto thyroiditis on the basis of laboratory findings. We performed a right thyroid lobectomy, including removal of the isthmus, to clarify the pathology and alleviate pressure symptoms. The final diagnosis was the fibrous variant of Hashimoto thyroiditis, with no evidence of malignant changes. Physicians should keep in mind that on rare occasions, Hashimoto thyroiditis mimics a malignant neoplasm.

Thyroid anaplastic carcinoma: the impact of multimodality treatment on survival. The experience of a referral center for endocrine surgery

AIM

Anaplastic thyroid carcinoma (ATC) is characterized by local invasiveness, risk of recurrence and very poor prognosis.

METHODS

We retrospectively reviewed 79 consecutive patients treated between 1996 and 2012. We analysed the multimodality treatment of ATC considering the impact of surgery and radiotherapy on survival.

RESULTS

Patients were divided in groups A and B (tumor less and larger than 5 cm). Surgery was carried out in 44 patients, radiotherapy in 48 patients. Tracheostomy and endoprosthesis were used respectively in 48.1% and in 25.3% of patients. The mean survival was 5.35 (± 3.2) months with no significant difference in group A vs. group B. Considering patients undergone surgery, significant impact on survival was observed comparing A vs. B (P=0.013). Combination of surgery and radiotherapy significantly improves outcome comparing A vs. B (P=0.017). Improvement in survival compared to no treatment at all was observed in both groups respectively for surgery (P=0.001 and P=0.0001) and radiotherapy (P=0.047 and P=0.0001).

CONCLUSION

Although the severity of prognosis of ATC, multimodality treatment still significantly improves local control of the disease achieving acceptable survival in selected patients and adequate palliation of symptoms for the others. Surgery is still a fundamental treatment.

Noninvasive anaplastic thyroid carcinoma: report of a case and literature review

Anaplastic thyroid carcinoma (ATC) is an uncommon thyroid malignancy. Noninvasive ATC is a rare, surgically resectable variant with only four reported cases. We report a case of an 81-year-old man who presented with a 3.1 cm right thyroid lobe mass that on fine-needle aspiration biopsy was diagnosed as an ATC. Preoperative imaging revealed an encapsulated thyroid tumor without evidence of invasion of surrounding structures and no locoregional and distant metastases. A total thyroidectomy was performed that by histologic and immunohistochemical evaluation was diagnostic for a noninvasive ATC. Given the diagnosis of noninvasive ATC, adjuvant therapy was not administered. At 14 months following diagnosis, the patient remains disease free based on positron emission tomography/computed tomography imaging. A review of the outcomes of similar cases reported in the literature, as well as observations from our case, suggest a favorable prognosis for patients with noninvasive ATC. Noninvasive ATC may represent a distinct subset of resectable ATCs with an improved prognosis. The recently published American Thyroid Association (ATA) Guidelines for Management of Patients with ATC do not include this specific form of ATC. We encourage other authors to report similar cases in order to determine whether noninvasive ATC should be considered as a separate disease entity from the traditional highly lethal form of ATC.