[Percutaneous radiotherapy for thyroid gland carcinoma]

Prognostically relevant factors as well as indications for percutaneous radiotherapy are analysed by the hand of a retrospective analysis of therapeutic results in 86 patients that were exposed a percutaneous radiotherapy because of a thyroid carcinoma at the Clinic and Policlinic of the Medical Academy Erfurt during the period 1972 to 1982. The 5-years-survivals of 83% for patients with differentiated carcinoma and 22% for patients with dedifferentiated carcinoma prove the influence of tumor histology on prognosis of the disease. Next to it the locoregional tumor spreading at beginning of therapy rendered prognostically relevant. The 5-years-survival was 83% in tumor stages T1-3N0M0. With metastatic infiltration into lymph-nodes of the neck the 5-years-survival decreased to 57%, with spreading of the primary tumor beyond organ borders to 23.5%. The postoperative percutaneous radiotherapy should be applied in all cases of metastatic infiltration of lymph-nodes. In large, inoperable tumors the percutaneous radiotherapy is the solely possible palliative measure that should be applied both in differentiated and also in anaplastic carcinomas in spite of infaust prognosis.