[Treatment and prognosis of anaplastic thyroid carcinoma].

Objective: To investigate the treatment model and the factors that influence survival of the patients with anaplastic thyroid carcinoma (ATC).
Methods: The clinical data of all patients with ATC in our hospital from May. 1970 to May. 2005 were analyzed retrospectively with regard to mortality and survival rate (Kaplan-Meier). Multivariate analysis was performed by the Cox proportional hazard model.
Results: Fifty cases together were analyzed. The overall 1-year, 3-year, 5-year survival rate were 39.4%, 29.6% and 20.7% respectively. The median survival time was 6 months. Univariate analysis showed the patients with their age < 55 years old, without distant metastasis, white blood cell count < 10.0 x 10(9)/L at presentation, without receiving chemotherapy, receiving radiotherapy with the dose no less than 40 Gy, receiving multiple modality therapy had a better prognosis. White blood cell count at presentation, the model of therapy were the risk factors independently influencing prognosis by multivariate analysis.
Conclusions: White blood cell count at presentation, receiving surgery and postoperative radiotherapy or not were the risk factors independently influencing prognosis. The prognosis of anaplastic thyroid carcinoma was worse; the patients with ATC maybe get a better prognosis by receiving surgery and postoperative radiotherapy.