Clinical Research Papers:
Application of intensitymodulated radiotherapy in unresectable poorly differentiated thyroid carcinoma
PDF | Full Text | How to cite
Metrics: PDF 2228 views | Full Text 3201 views
Fen Xue1, Duanshu Li2, Chaosu Hu1, Zhuoying Wang2, Xiayun He1 and Yi Wu2
1 Department of Radiation Oncology, Fudan University Shanghai Cancer Center, Shanghai, China
2 Department of Head and Neck Surgery, Fudan University Shanghai Cancer Center, Shanghai, China
Correspondence to:
Xiayun He, email:
Yi Wu, email:
Keywords: unresectable poorly differentiated thyroid carcinoma; intensity modulated radiotherapy; chemotherapy; locoregional control; distant metastases
Received: July 10, 2016 Accepted: October 13, 2016 Published: October 20, 2016
Abstract
Poorly differentiated thyroid carcinoma (PDTC) is a rare and aggressive malignancy with high rates of invasion and distant metastasis. This study was to explore the ability of intensity-modulated radiotherapy (IMRT) combined with chemotherapy to manage unresectable PDTC. Between February 2011 and April 2012, 5 patients with unresectable PDTC were treated by IMRT at our institution and were included in this analysis. The median radiotherapy dose to the gross tumor volume (GTV) was 66 Gy/33 fractions/6.4 weeks. All patients received chemotherapy, and one patient with tumor compression symptoms had a tracheotomy before treatment. The mean survival time of the 5 patients was 41.6 months. The direct causes of death were distant metastases (40%) and progression of the locoregional disease (20%). In conclusion, IMRT combined with chemotherapy for unresectable PDTC might be beneficial to improve locoregional control. Further new therapies are needed to control metastases.