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Updated: Jun 12, 2025
Thermal Ablation for the Treatment of Abdominal Tumors
Published on: March 7, 2011
Ultrasound-guided radiofrequency ablation for the treatment of anaplastic thyroid cancer: a case report
Tian Liu1, Chen Xu1, Hangjun Chen1
1Department of Ultrasound, Affiliated Jinhua Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Jinhua, China.
Background:
Anaplastic thyroid cancer (ATC) is a rare but highly aggressive tumor of the thyroid. Due to its rapid progression and resistance to radiotherapy, the prognosis of ATC is poor. Novel treatments have been increasingly applied in recent years, but the outcome of treatment is not satisfactory.
Case Presentation:
We present a case of advanced ATC that cannot be surgically resected, who underwent ultrasound-guided radiofrequency ablation (RFA) combined with immunotherapy and targeted therapy for tumor shrinkage. The patient's symptoms, including neck pain, were significantly relieved, and the follow-up of this patient showed a satisfactory outcome with no associated complications. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first case of palliative treatment by RFA in a patient with advanced ATC. It exemplifies a new application and success of this classical approach in palliative treatment.
Conclusion:
This case indicates that RFA has a good therapeutic effect on elderly patients with advanced ATC. Such an approach will provide new ideas for the treatment of advanced ATC and warrants further study in the future.
