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Anaplastic thyroid cancer: Clinical outcomes with conformal radiotherapy
Author(s) -
Bhatia Aarti,
Rao Archana,
Ang KieKian,
Garden Adam S.,
Morrison William H.,
Rosenthal David I.,
Evans Douglas B.,
Clayman Gary,
Sherman Steven I.,
Schwartz David L.
Publication year - 2010
Publication title -
head and neck
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.012
H-Index - 127
eISSN - 1097-0347
pISSN - 1043-3074
DOI - 10.1002/hed.21257
Subject(s) - medicine , anaplastic thyroid cancer , radiation therapy , thyroid , head and neck cancer , nuclear medicine , thyroid cancer , cancer , oncology , head and neck , radiology , surgery
Background. The aim of this study was to review institutional outcomes for anaplastic thyroid cancer treated with conformal 3‐dimensional radiotherapy (3DRT) or intensity‐modulated radiotherapy (IMRT).Methods. In all, 53 consecutive patients were analyzed. Thirty‐one (58%) patients were irradiated with curative intent. Median radiation dose was 55 Gray (Gy; range, 4–70 Gy). Thirteen (25%) patients received IMRT to a median 60 Gy (range, 39.9–69.0 Gy). Thirty‐nine (74%) patients received chemotherapy with radiation.Results. The Kaplan–Meier estimate of overall survival (OS) at 1 year for definitively irradiated patients was 29%. Patients without distant metastases receiving ≥50 Gy had superior survival outcomes; 5 such patients had no evidence of disease at last follow‐up. Use of IMRT versus 3DRT did not influence toxicity.Conclusions. Outcomes for anaplastic thyroid cancer treated with 3DRT or IMRT remain equivalent to historical results. Healthy patients with localized disease who tolerate full dose irradiation can potentially enjoy prolonged survival. Biologically targeted radiosensitization merits prioritized investigation. © 2009 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Head Neck, 2009