Anaplastic thyroid cancer

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Thyroid cancer - CT scan

Thyroid gland

Anaplastic carcinoma of the thyroid

This type of cancer cannot be cured by surgery. For most patients, complete removal of the thyroid gland does not prolong their life.

Of other treatment options, only radiation therapy combined with chemotherapy give 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.

For some patients, enrolling in a clinical trial of new thyroid cancer treatments may be an option.

The stress of illness can often be eased by joining a support group of people sharing common experiences and problems. See: Cancer - support group

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The prognosis of this disease is poor. Most people do not survive longer than 6 months due to the aggressive nature of this disease and lack of effective treatment options.

• Spread of tumor within the neck
• Metastasis (spread) of cancer to other body tissues or organs

Call your health care provider if there is a persistent lump or mass in the neck, hoarseness, changing voice, cough, or coughing up blood.

Review Date: 03/02/2010
Reviewed By: David C. Dugdale, III, MD, Professor of Medicine, Division of General Medicine, Department of Medicine, University of Washington School of Medicine; Yi-Bin Chen, MD, Leukemia/Bone Marrow Transplant Program, Massachusetts General Hospital. Also reviewed by David Zieve, MD, MHA, Medical Director, A.D.A.M., Inc.

A.D.A.M., Inc. is accredited by URAC, also known as the American Accreditation HealthCare Commission (www.urac.org).