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Anaplastic transformation of papillary thyroid carcinoma in recurrent disease in regional lymph nodes: A histologic and immunohistochemical study
Author(s) -
Ozaki Osamu,
Ito Kunihiko,
Mimura Takashi,
Sugino Kiminori,
Ito Koichi
Publication year - 1999
Publication title -
journal of surgical oncology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.201
H-Index - 111
eISSN - 1096-9098
pISSN - 0022-4790
DOI - 10.1002/(sici)1096-9098(199901)70:1<45::aid-jso8>3.0.co;2-b
Subject(s) - medicine , lymph , pathology , thyroid carcinoma , anaplastic carcinoma , immunohistochemistry , thyroid , carcinoma , thyroid cancer , papillary thyroid cancer
Background and Objectives Although the prognosis of papillary thyroid carcinoma is favorable in most cases, recurrent disease in the regional lymph nodes is not uncommon, and some patients die of recurrent disease that ultimately becomes unresectable. We studied the proliferative activity of cancer cells in recurrent foci in lymph nodes to see whether repeated recurrences might result in anaplastic transformation of papillary thyroid carcinoma. Methods Fourteen patients with papillary thyroid carcinoma who underwent reoperation for recurrent disease in the regional lymph nodes more than once were the subjects of the study. The histologic findings and proliferative activity of carcinoma foci at each recurrence were studied histologically and immunohistochemically. Results There were higher incidences of histologic features of poorly differentiated thyroid carcinoma in the metastatic foci in the lymph nodes as it recurred repeatedly, and the labeling indexes of proliferating cell nuclear antigen (PCNA) and nuclear antigen Ki‐67 (MIB‐1) increased. Conclusions These observations suggest that papillary thyroid carcinoma may become more malignant, even undergo transformation to an anaplastic variety, as metastatic disease in the regional lymph nodes recurs repeatedly. J. Surg. Oncol. 1999;70:45–48. © 1999 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.