Original Article
Treatment optimization and prognostic considerations for primary squamous cell carcinoma of the thyroid
Abstract
Background: Primary squamous cell carcinoma of the thyroid (PSCCT) is a rare aggressive malignancy that usually presents in an advanced stage and has a poor prognosis. Our study aimed to investigate the clinical characteristics, treatment, and prognosis of PSCCT.
Methods: We retrospectively reviewed the medical information of patients with PSCCT diagnosed from January 2006 to May 2018 at Xiangya Hospital. Survival analysis was conducted using the Kaplan-Meier method, and Log-Rank tests were performed for statistical testing.
Results: We identified 12 patients with PSCCT (nine males and three females), accounting for only 0.19% of all thyroid cancer diagnosed during this time period. The median age of these patients was 59.5 years old and their symptoms included neck masses (n=5), hoarseness (n=2), dyspnea (n=1), dysphagia (n=1) and neck pain (n=1). Four patients were in stage IVA, five were stage IVB, and three patients were stage IVC. Six patients underwent comprehensive treatment (surgery + radiotherapy or surgery + radiotherapy + chemotherapy) and the remaining patients received radiotherapy and/or chemotherapy. The 6-month survival rate was 66.7%, compared to a 1-year survival rate of 25.0%, with a median overall survival time was 10.5 months. Kaplan-Meier analysis showed that the comprehensive treatment was superior to radiotherapy and/or chemotherapy (P=0.003).
Conclusions: PSCCT is a rare type of thyroid cancer that is highly invasive and has a poor prognosis. We show that a comprehensive treatment plan can significantly improve patient survival.
Methods: We retrospectively reviewed the medical information of patients with PSCCT diagnosed from January 2006 to May 2018 at Xiangya Hospital. Survival analysis was conducted using the Kaplan-Meier method, and Log-Rank tests were performed for statistical testing.
Results: We identified 12 patients with PSCCT (nine males and three females), accounting for only 0.19% of all thyroid cancer diagnosed during this time period. The median age of these patients was 59.5 years old and their symptoms included neck masses (n=5), hoarseness (n=2), dyspnea (n=1), dysphagia (n=1) and neck pain (n=1). Four patients were in stage IVA, five were stage IVB, and three patients were stage IVC. Six patients underwent comprehensive treatment (surgery + radiotherapy or surgery + radiotherapy + chemotherapy) and the remaining patients received radiotherapy and/or chemotherapy. The 6-month survival rate was 66.7%, compared to a 1-year survival rate of 25.0%, with a median overall survival time was 10.5 months. Kaplan-Meier analysis showed that the comprehensive treatment was superior to radiotherapy and/or chemotherapy (P=0.003).
Conclusions: PSCCT is a rare type of thyroid cancer that is highly invasive and has a poor prognosis. We show that a comprehensive treatment plan can significantly improve patient survival.
