Anaplastic Thyroid Cancer Overview
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.
MD Anderson
Mark Zafereo is an Otolaryngologist in Houston, Texas. Dr. Zafereo and 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, Medullary Thyroid Carcinoma, Thyroidectomy, and Laryngectomy.
MD Anderson
Neil Gross is an Otolaryngologist in Houston, Texas. Dr. Gross and is rated as an Elite provider by MediFind in the treatment of Anaplastic Thyroid Cancer. His top areas of expertise are Anaplastic Thyroid Cancer, Head and Neck Squamous Cell Carcinoma (HNSCC), Thyroid Cancer, Laryngectomy, and Gastrostomy.
Mskcc Surgery Group
Ian Ganly is an Otolaryngologist in New York, New York. Dr. Ganly has been practicing medicine for over 36 years and is rated as an Elite provider by MediFind in the treatment of Anaplastic Thyroid Cancer. His top areas of expertise are Thyroid Cancer, Tongue Cancer, Papillary Thyroid Cancer, Thyroidectomy, and Glossectomy.
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 phase II trial studies how well lenvatinib and pembrolizumab work in treating patients with anaplastic thyroid cancer that is stage IVB and has spread to nearby tissue or lymph nodes (locally advanced) and cannot be removed by surgery (unresectable), or stage IVC that has spread to other places in the body (metastatic). Lenvatinib may stop the growth of tumor cells by blocking some of the enz...
Summary: The researchers are doing this study to find out if the combination of avutometinib and defactinib is an effective treatment for RAF dimer-driven radioiodine-refractory differentiated thyroid cancer or anaplastic thyroid cancer. The researchers will also test whether avutometinib and defactinib is a safe treatment that causes few or mild side effects.
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.