BACKGROUND: Anaplastic thyroid carcinoma (ATC) is a rare cancer and has a poor prognosis. Several radiation protocols have been reported, but the results were not satisfactory. OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to determine the effect of hypofractionated radiotherapy. METHODS: Thirty-three patients who received radiotherapy for ATC between January 2000 and December 2014 were retrospectively included. We defined hypofractionated radiotherapy as a single dose ≥5 Gy. RESULTS: Nineteen patients were treated with hypofractionated radiotherapy. Twenty-eight patients died, and 27 of those patients died from ATC. Sixteen patients died from distant metastasis and 6 from local recurrence. In the hypofractionated radiotherapy group, local recurrence occurred in 5 patients and 1 of them died from active bleeding from a local tumor. There was local recurrence in 7 patients who received the other protocol, and 5 of them died from asphyxiation, active bleeding, or uncontrollable growth of a local tumor on the neck. The median overall survival (OS) was 5 months. In multivariate analysis, patients who received an equivalent dose in 2-Gy fractions (EQD2) ≥50 Gy had significantly better OS (p = 0.016). In univariate analysis, patients who received hypofractionated radiotherapy did not have significantly better OS (p = 0.872) or local control (p = 0.090). The χ2 test showed that significantly fewer patients died from local recurrence in the hypofractionated radiotherapy group (p = 0.025). CONCLUSIONS: Multivariate analysis showed that an EQD2 ≥50 Gy resulted in better OS, and hypofractionated radiotherapy decreased the rate of mortality from local recurrence.
BACKGROUND: Anaplastic thyroid carcinoma (ATC) is a rare cancer and has a poor prognosis. Several radiation protocols have been reported, but the results were not satisfactory. OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to determine the effect of hypofractionated radiotherapy. METHODS: Thirty-three patients who received radiotherapy for ATC between January 2000 and December 2014 were retrospectively included. We defined hypofractionated radiotherapy as a single dose ≥5 Gy. RESULTS: Nineteen patients were treated with hypofractionated radiotherapy. Twenty-eight patients died, and 27 of those patients died from ATC. Sixteen patients died from distant metastasis and 6 from local recurrence. In the hypofractionated radiotherapy group, local recurrence occurred in 5 patients and 1 of them died from active bleeding from a local tumor. There was local recurrence in 7 patients who received the other protocol, and 5 of them died from asphyxiation, active bleeding, or uncontrollable growth of a local tumor on the neck. The median overall survival (OS) was 5 months. In multivariate analysis, patients who received an equivalent dose in 2-Gy fractions (EQD2) ≥50 Gy had significantly better OS (p = 0.016). In univariate analysis, patients who received hypofractionated radiotherapy did not have significantly better OS (p = 0.872) or local control (p = 0.090). The χ2 test showed that significantly fewer patients died from local recurrence in the hypofractionated radiotherapy group (p = 0.025). CONCLUSIONS: Multivariate analysis showed that an EQD2 ≥50 Gy resulted in better OS, and hypofractionated radiotherapy decreased the rate of mortality from local recurrence.
Authors: Robert L Foote; Julian R Molina; Jan L Kasperbauer; Ricardo V Lloyd; Bryan McIver; John C Morris; Clive S Grant; Geoffrey B Thompson; Melanie L Richards; Ian D Hay; Robert C Smallridge; Keith C Bible Journal: Thyroid Date: 2010-12-16 Impact factor: 6.568
Authors: P I Haigh; P H Ituarte; H S Wu; P A Treseler; M D Posner; J M Quivey; Q Y Duh; O H Clark Journal: Cancer Date: 2001-06-15 Impact factor: 6.860
Authors: Huan T Ha; Julia S Lee; Susan Urba; Ronald J Koenig; James Sisson; Thomas Giordano; Francis P Worden Journal: Thyroid Date: 2010-09 Impact factor: 6.568
Authors: J Tennvall; G Lundell; P Wahlberg; A Bergenfelz; L Grimelius; M Akerman; A-L Hjelm Skog; G Wallin Journal: Br J Cancer Date: 2002-06-17 Impact factor: 7.640