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Chemotherapy of thyroid cancer. An evaluation of experience with 37 patients
Author(s) -
Gottlieb Jeffrey A.,
Hill C. Stratton,
Ibanez Michael L.,
Clark R. Lee
Publication year - 1972
Publication title -
cancer
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 3.052
H-Index - 304
eISSN - 1097-0142
pISSN - 0008-543X
DOI - 10.1002/1097-0142(197209)30:3<848::aid-cncr2820300336>3.0.co;2-2
Subject(s) - medicine , chemotherapy , radiation therapy , cancer , thyroid , oncology , disease , drug , medullary cavity , thyroid cancer , surgery , thyroid carcinoma , pharmacology
Thirty‐seven patients who were treated with antineoplastic drugs for metastatic thyroid carcinoma were evaluated to determine the effectiveness of chemotherapy in this disease. All cell types were included in the series, but there was a predominance of the spindle and giant cell and medullary types. Three patients had no treatment prior to the chemotherapy, with the remainder having been treated previously by surgery, 131 I, and radiotherapy, either separately or in combination. A wide variety of drugs were used. Five of 37 patients had partial remission of their disease. The median duration of response is now 3 + months, with two patients still responding. Three of the five responders were treated with the new antitumor antibiotic, adriamycin. The preliminary results with this drug have encouraged us to use it as a drug of choice in a prospective protocol for the treatment of metastatic thyroid cancer, and to explore its use earlier in the course of treatment.