[The combined treatment of anaplastic thyroid carcinoma]

Five patients with anaplastic thyroid carcinoma (ATC) were treated with chemotherapy (adriamycin 60 mg/m2 and cisplatin 90 mg/m2) followed by surgery and postoperative radiotherapy. The average survival in this series was 11.2 months. Partial response of the cervical tumoration was observed in 4 patients and of the distant metastasis, in 1 of 3 cases. One patient with mixed thyroid carcinoma (follicular and anaplastic) had complete remission of the disease. Four patients died: two due to metastatic disease and two due to local tumor growth. We conclude that this type of combined therapy is affective in patients with anaplastic thyroid carcinoma in terms of local control of the disease, avoiding mortality due to local invasion in some of these patients.