Anaplastic thyroid carcinoma
Updates to Article Attributes
Anaplastic thyroid carcinoma is a highly aggressive form of thyroid cancer and accounts for ~1-2% of primary thyroid malignancies. Of all the subtypes, this carries the worst prognosis.
Epidemiology
Typically occurs in the elderly (peakwith the peak incidence in the 6th toand 7th decades). A significant proportion of patients may have a history of concurrent multinodular goitre. There is a recognised female predilection 6.
Clinical presentation
Patients tend to present late. Compressive symptoms of neighboringneighbouring structures are common.
Radiographic features
Ultrasound
May show microcalcification 3. Usually seen as an infiltrative lesion.
CT
CT is useful for assessment of extrathyroidal tumortumour invasion 1 as well as regional lymph node and distant metastatic involvement, which are commonly found at the time of CT assessment 5.
The primary tumortumour typically appears as a highly infiltrative mass about the thyroid gland.
Nuclear imaging
- radioiodine: usually has no uptake 4.
Treatment and prognosis
The prognosis is very poor, with 5 year-year survival ~5% and considered invariably fatal 6. These tumorstumours are automatically considered stage IV disease by the TNM staging system.
Differential diagnosis
Consider other infiltrative thyroid neoplasms, such as:
See also
-<p><strong>Anaplastic thyroid carcinoma </strong>is a highly aggressive form of <a href="/articles/assessment-of-thyroid-lesions-general">thyroid cancer</a> and accounts for ~1-2% of primary thyroid malignancies. Of all the subtypes, this carries the worst prognosis.</p><h4>Epidemiology</h4><p>Typically occurs in the elderly (peak incidence in the 6<sup>th</sup> to 7<sup>th </sup>decades). A significant proportion of patients may have a history of concurrent <a href="/articles/multinodular-goitre">multinodular goitre</a>. There is a recognised female predilection <sup>6</sup>.</p><h4>Clinical presentation</h4><p>Patients tend to present late. Compressive symptoms of neighboring structures are common.</p><h4>Radiographic features</h4><h5>Ultrasound</h5><p>May show microcalcification <sup>3</sup>. Usually seen as an infiltrative lesion.</p><h5>CT</h5><p>CT is useful for assessment of extrathyroidal tumor invasion <sup>1</sup> as well as regional lymph node and distant metastatic involvement, which are commonly found at the time of CT assessment <sup>5</sup>.</p><p>The primary tumor typically appears as a highly infiltrative mass about the thyroid gland.</p><h5>Nuclear imaging</h5><ul><li>radioiodine: usually has no uptake <sup>4</sup>.</li></ul><h4>Treatment and prognosis</h4><p>The prognosis is very poor, with 5 year survival ~5% and considered invariably fatal <sup>6</sup>. These tumors are automatically considered stage IV disease by the <a href="/articles/anaplastic-thyroid-cancer-staging">TNM staging system</a>.</p><h4>Differential diagnosis</h4><p>Consider other infiltrative thyroid neoplasms, such as:</p><ul>- +<p><strong>Anaplastic thyroid carcinoma </strong>is a highly aggressive form of <a href="/articles/assessment-of-thyroid-lesions-general">thyroid cancer</a> and accounts for ~1-2% of primary thyroid malignancies. Of all the subtypes, this carries the worst prognosis.</p><h4>Epidemiology</h4><p>Typically occurs in the elderly with the peak incidence in the 6<sup>th</sup> and 7<sup>th </sup>decades. A significant proportion of patients may have a history of concurrent <a href="/articles/multinodular-goitre">multinodular goitre</a>. There is a recognised female predilection <sup>6</sup>.</p><h4>Clinical presentation</h4><p>Patients tend to present late. Compressive symptoms of neighbouring structures are common.</p><h4>Radiographic features</h4><h5>Ultrasound</h5><p>May show microcalcification <sup>3</sup>. Usually seen as an infiltrative lesion.</p><h5>CT</h5><p>CT is useful for assessment of extrathyroidal tumour invasion <sup>1</sup> as well as regional lymph node and distant metastatic involvement, which are commonly found at the time of CT assessment <sup>5</sup>.</p><p>The primary tumour typically appears as a highly infiltrative mass about the thyroid gland.</p><h5>Nuclear imaging</h5><ul><li>radioiodine: usually has no uptake <sup>4</sup>.</li></ul><h4>Treatment and prognosis</h4><p>The prognosis is very poor, with 5-year survival ~5% and considered invariably fatal <sup>6</sup>. These tumours are automatically considered stage IV disease by the <a href="/articles/anaplastic-thyroid-cancer-staging">TNM staging system</a>.</p><h4>Differential diagnosis</h4><p>Consider other infiltrative thyroid neoplasms, such as:</p><ul>
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