|  | Conditions Treatments | Medical Conditions

What Is an Anaplastic Thyroid?

An anaplastic thyroid is a rare form of thyroid cancer. It is the rarest and the most deadly of all the types of thyroid cancer, occurring as less than 1.5 percent of all thyroid cancers. It is also known as anaplastic carcinoma of the thyroid. It is one of only three types of cancer that begin in the thyroid itself.

  1. Symptoms

    • The symptoms of anaplastic thyroid cancer are usually very vague in the early stages. If detected early, the only symptom may be a painless enlargement of the thyroid gland. Later symptoms may include cough, hemoptysis (coughing up blood), hoarseness or difficulty swallowing. In later stages, the patient may complain of an enlarging neck mass. There may also be enlarged, but not painful, lymph nodes in the cervical neck region.

    Characteristics

    • Anaplastic thyroid cancer is rarely ever seen in young persons. Its usual onset is in persons age 60 or older. Anaplastic thyroid occurs twice as often in men than it does in women. Its prognosis is very poor, with only about five percent of individuals living for more than 5 years after they are diagnosed, and most people succumbing to the disease within one year of being diagnosed. It spreads (metastasizes) rapidly into surrounding tissues, especially the trachea and the lungs. It may also spread rapidly into the bones.

    Treatment

    • The first choice of treatment for any kind of thyroid cancer is surgical removal of the thyroid gland. This will require the patient to have to take thyroid replacement hormone for the rest of their lives. Depending upon the stage and the area(s) of metastasis, the oncologist will have to decide if radiation or chemotherapy will be beneficial to the patient. Radiation therapy for the thyroid cancer itself is of no help because the thyroid gland will not take up the iodine needed in the radiation therapy. Most treatment will focus on palliative measures, to promote comfort and dignity during the progression of the disease.

    Prognosis

    • Because of its rapid onset and spread, anaplastic thyroid cancer is almost always fatal. Death usually occurs due to suffocation or upper airway obstruction. A patient may require a tracheotomy to aid in breathing due to involvement of the neck structures. There are many ongoing research projects involving the treatment and hopefully possible cure of anaplastic thyroid cancer, but no progress has been made to date.

    Medications

    • There are several chemotherapy drugs being tested that show hopeful signs of prolonging the rapid spread of the disease to hopefully prolong the life of the patient. The drugs are still in the experimental stage, and will depend upon the outcome and investigation by the Food and Drug Administration as to whether they will ever be used for treatment.

Medical Conditions - Related Articles