Anaplastic Thyroid CancerSymptoms, Doctors, Treatments, Advances & More
Learn About Anaplastic Thyroid Cancer
View Main Condition: Thyroid Cancer
Anaplastic thyroid carcinoma is a rare and aggressive form of cancer of the thyroid gland.
Anaplastic carcinoma of the thyroid
Anaplastic thyroid cancer is an invasive type of thyroid cancer that grows very rapidly. It occurs most often in people over age 60. It is more common in females than in males. The cause is unknown.
Anaplastic cancer accounts for only about less than 1% of all thyroid cancers in the United States.
Symptoms include:
- Cough
- Coughing up blood
- Difficulty swallowing
- Hoarseness or changing voice
- Loud breathing
- Lower neck lump, which often grows quickly
- Pain in the neck
- Vocal cord paralysis
- Overactive thyroid (hyperthyroidism)
This type of cancer cannot be cured by surgery.
Surgery combined with radiation therapy and chemotherapy may have a significant benefit.
Surgery to place a tube in the throat to help with breathing (tracheostomy) or in the stomach to help with eating (gastrostomy) may be needed during treatment.
For some people, enrolling in a clinical trial of new thyroid cancer treatments based on the genetic changes in the tumor may be an option.
The presence of a mutation in the BRAF gene is treatable with targeted medicines and may improve outcomes.
UT MD Anderson Cancer Center
Ramona Dadu is an Endocrinologist in Cary, North Carolina. Dr. Dadu is rated as an Elite provider by MediFind in the treatment of Anaplastic Thyroid Cancer. Her top areas of expertise are Anaplastic Thyroid Cancer, Thyroid Cancer, Medullary Thyroid Carcinoma, Papillary Thyroid Cancer, and Thyroidectomy.
University Of Colorado Hospital Authority
Bryan Haugen is an Endocrinologist in Aurora, Colorado. Dr. Haugen is rated as an Elite provider by MediFind in the treatment of Anaplastic Thyroid Cancer. His top areas of expertise are Thyroid Cancer, Anaplastic Thyroid Cancer, Follicular Thyroid Cancer, Thyroidectomy, and Hormone Replacement Therapy (HRT).
Brigham And Women's Faulkner Hospital, General Surgery Clinic
Dr. Matthew Nehs is an endocrine surgeon at Brigham and Women’s Hospital (BWH) and an associate professor of surgery at Harvard Medical School. Dr. Nehs received his medical degree from the University of Michigan Medical School. He completed both his general surgery residency and endocrine surgery fellowship at BWH/Harvard Medical School.Dr. Nehs is board-certified in General Surgery and has clinical interests in minimally-invasive thyroid surgery, anaplastic thyroid cancer, parathyroid surgery, pancreatic endocrine tumors, adrenal surgery, gallstone disease, hernia repair, and general surgery. Dr. Nehs is rated as an Elite provider by MediFind in the treatment of Anaplastic Thyroid Cancer. His top areas of expertise are Anaplastic Thyroid Cancer, Thyroid Cancer, Hyperparathyroidism, Thyroidectomy, and Parathyroidectomy.
You can often ease the stress of illness by joining a support group of people sharing common experiences and problems.
The outlook with this disease is poor. Most people do not survive longer than 6 months because the disease is aggressive and there is a lack of effective treatment options.
Complications may include:
- Spread of tumor within the neck
- Metastasis (spread) of cancer to other body tissues or organs
Contact your health care provider if you notice:
- A persistent lump or mass in the neck
- Hoarseness or changes in your voice
- Cough or coughing up blood
Summary: This clinical trial is looking at a combination of drugs called vemurafenib and cobimetinib. Vemurafenib is approved as standard of care for adult patients with unresectable or metastatic melanoma. Cobimetinib is approved as standard of care in combination with vemurafenib for the treatment of adult patients with unresectable or metastatic melanoma. This means it has gone through clinical trials a...
Summary: This trial studies how well dabrafenib, trametinib, and intensity modulated radiation therapy (IMRT) work together in treating patients with BRAF mutated anaplastic thyroid cancer. Dabrafenib and trametinib may stop the growth of tumor cells by blocking some of the enzymes needed for cell growth. Radiation therapy uses high energy beams to kill tumor cells and shrink tumors. Giving dabrafenib, tra...
Published Date: March 31, 2024
Published By: Todd Gersten, MD, Hematology/Oncology, Florida Cancer Specialists & Research Institute, Wellington, FL. Review provided by VeriMed Healthcare Network. Also reviewed by David C. Dugdale, MD, Medical Director, Brenda Conaway, Editorial Director, and the A.D.A.M. Editorial team.
Bible KC, Kebebew E, Brierley J, et al. 2021 American Thyroid Association guidelines for management of patients with anaplastic thyroid cancer. Thyroid. 2021;31(3):337-386. PMID: 33728999 pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/33728999/.
National Cancer Institute. Anaplastic thyroid cancer (ATC). www.cancer.gov/pediatric-adult-rare-tumor/rare-tumors/rare-endocrine-tumor/anaplastic-thyroid-cancer. Updated February 27, 2019. Accessed May 3, 2024.
Pearce EN, Hollenberg AN. Thyroid. In: Goldman L, Cooney KA. Goldman-Cecil Medicine. 27th ed. Philadelphia, PA: Elsevier; 2024:chap 207.
Suh I, Sosa JA. Thyroid. In: Townsend CM Jr, Beauchamp RD, Evers BM, Mattox KL, eds. Sabiston Textbook of Surgery. 21st ed. St Louis, MO: Elsevier; 2022:chap 37.