Revisiting Combination Chemotherapy as a Single Modality Palliative Therapy for Advanced Anaplastic Thyroid...

Area of Science:

• Oncology
• Thyroid Cancer Research
• Clinical Oncology

Background:

• Anaplastic thyroid carcinoma (ATC) is a highly aggressive malignancy with a poor prognosis, particularly in the metastatic setting.
• Optimal treatment strategies for advanced and metastatic ATC remain undefined, necessitating further research.
• Understanding prognostic factors is crucial for managing this rare and deadly cancer.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the impact of palliative chemotherapy compared to supportive care on overall survival in patients with metastatic anaplastic thyroid carcinoma.
• To identify clinicopathological factors associated with survival outcomes in metastatic ATC.
• To provide evidence-based insights into treatment decisions for advanced ATC.

Main Methods:

• Prospective follow-up of patients diagnosed with ATC between January 2018 and December 2019.
• Analysis of clinicopathological data and survival outcomes for 20 patients with metastatic ATC.
• Comparison of overall survival between patients receiving palliative chemotherapy (Paclitaxel and Carboplatin) and those receiving supportive care.

Main Results:

• The median overall survival for all analyzed patients was 2.6 months.
• Patients receiving palliative chemotherapy demonstrated a significantly longer median survival (3.1 months) compared to those receiving supportive care (1.6 months) (p=0.004).
• Male sex and vascular invasion were identified as independent poor prognostic indicators via Cox regression analysis.

Conclusions:

• Palliative chemotherapy offers a survival benefit for patients diagnosed with metastatic anaplastic thyroid carcinoma.
• Male sex and the presence of vascular invasion are associated with worse outcomes in metastatic ATC.
• These findings underscore the importance of considering palliative chemotherapy in the management of metastatic ATC.