Anaplastic tumors of the thyroid

Abstract

Thirty-eight cases of anaplastic tumors, including 8 reticulum cell sarcomas of thyroid treated in the Manitoba Cancer Foundation, were reviewed. The natural history of the disease was discussed, stressing the high malignancy of these tumors demonstrated by the pace of the disease; over three quarters of deaths with disease occurred in the first year. The significance of a recent acceleration in the growth of a long-standing thyroid neoplasm was discussed, and an example of differentiated papillary adenocarcinoma in transformation to an anaplastic tumor was presented. About one quarter of the patients seen were alive and well in a follow-up period of 1 to 15 years. Factors which may affect the results are: sex of the patient; a poorer prognosis for a stage of the disease at diagnosis and treatment; and radiosensitivity of the tumor. Analysis of various aspects of the 8 cases of reticulum cell sarcomas failed to reveal a significant difference from anaplastic carcinomas.