[Diagnosis and therapy of malignant thyroid neoplasms]

On 155 patients (114 women and 41 men), who from 1965 to 1975 underwent a combined operative, radiological and hormonal treatment, the advantages of a planned interdisciplinary therapeutic procedure in malignant tumours of the thyroid gland are demonstrated. The histological classification was performed according to the nomenclature of the WHO. In 94 cases we had to do with differentiated epithelial tumours, 61 times with undifferentiated tumours. 36 patients were younger than 40 years, in general the 6th to 7th decennium was preferred. In clinical and nuclear-medical suspicion to malignoma the aspiration biopsy was carried out with a thin needle. 252 biopsies brought 39 times findings suspicious to tumour, in 20 cases the suspicion was confirmed by operation. The mean survival time after the complex therapy described was 2 1/4 years in the undifferentiated tumours, in differentiated carcinomas 4 years. Up to now 25 patients reached the 5-year-limit. The lethality was loaded above all by late stages. The planned interdisciplinary proceeding in suitable centres is able to improve the chances of success in early diagnosing including the punction cytology.