A partial response in anaplastic carcinoma of the thyroid with liposomal doxorubicin

Anaplastic thyroid carcinoma is a rare disease with a poor prognosis. Surgery represents the curative treatment for limiting the disease. In the presence of locoregional disease, not suitable for surgery, and for metastastic disease, chemotherapy represents the treatment option. Single agents chemotherapy can produce some responses; doxorubicin is an active drug with a rate of partial response lower than 20%. Association with cisplatin seems to be more active producing a higher rate of complete responses. Liposomal doxorubicin is a new class of anthracyclines, derived from a structural modification of doxorubicin, representing a new form of an old drug with pharmacological characteristics that facilitate a more easy elusion from immune system, a longer half-life, an increased tumor cell uptake and a reduced toxicity if compared with parental drug. Herein we report the first case of an anaplastic thyroid carcinoma treated with the use of liposomal doxorubicin. The encouraging response observed with single agent liposomal doxorubicin (70% according to RECIST criteria) deserves further investigations.