Anaplastic Cancer: Our Experience

Area of Science:

• Oncology
• Thyroid Cancer Research

Background:

• Anaplastic thyroid carcinoma (ATC) is a rare and aggressive thyroid malignancy with a very poor prognosis.
• Limited data exists from India regarding the treatment patterns and outcomes for ATC.

Purpose of the Study:

• To audit treatment patterns and analyze outcomes for ATC patients in India.
• To identify factors influencing treatment outcomes in this rare cancer.

Main Methods:

• Retrospective analysis of 134 adult ATC patients treated between January 2008 and December 2020.
• Collection of baseline characteristics, treatment details, progression-free survival (PFS), and overall survival (OS).
• Statistical analysis using SPSS and RStudio to compare outcomes based on treatment intent and modality.

Main Results:

• Median PFS and OS for the overall cohort were 58 and 80 days, respectively.
• Patients receiving curative intent treatment had significantly better PFS (116 days) and OS (134 days) compared to palliative intent (45 and 50 days).
• Surgery followed by adjuvant therapy (CTRT/RT) demonstrated superior PFS and OS compared to other treatment approaches.

Conclusions:

• ATC has a dismal prognosis, but local therapy with surgery and adjuvant treatment is associated with better outcomes.
• Systemic therapy is a viable option for palliation in ATC.
• This audit provides valuable real-world data on ATC management in India.