Clinical Overview > Condition/ Syndrome > Anaplastic thyroid cancer

You are looking at 1 - 4 of 4 items

Fumiaki Kawano Departments of Surgery, Faculty of Medicine, University of Miyazaki, Miyazaki, Japan

Search for other papers by Fumiaki Kawano in
Google Scholar
PubMed
Close
,
Tadato Yonekawa Neurology, Respirology, Endocrinology and Metabolism, Faculty of Medicine, University of Miyazaki, Miyazaki, Japan

Search for other papers by Tadato Yonekawa in
Google Scholar
PubMed
Close
,
Hideki Yamaguchi Neurology, Respirology, Endocrinology and Metabolism, Faculty of Medicine, University of Miyazaki, Miyazaki, Japan

Search for other papers by Hideki Yamaguchi in
Google Scholar
PubMed
Close
,
Nobuhiro Shibata Clinical Oncology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Miyazaki, Miyazaki, Japan

Search for other papers by Nobuhiro Shibata in
Google Scholar
PubMed
Close
,
Kousei Tashiro Departments of Surgery, Faculty of Medicine, University of Miyazaki, Miyazaki, Japan

Search for other papers by Kousei Tashiro in
Google Scholar
PubMed
Close
,
Makoto Ikenoue Departments of Surgery, Faculty of Medicine, University of Miyazaki, Miyazaki, Japan

Search for other papers by Makoto Ikenoue in
Google Scholar
PubMed
Close
,
Shun Munakata Departments of Surgery, Faculty of Medicine, University of Miyazaki, Miyazaki, Japan

Search for other papers by Shun Munakata in
Google Scholar
PubMed
Close
,
Kazuhiro Higuchi Departments of Surgery, Faculty of Medicine, University of Miyazaki, Miyazaki, Japan

Search for other papers by Kazuhiro Higuchi in
Google Scholar
PubMed
Close
,
Hiroyuki Tanaka Diagnostic Pathology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Miyazaki, Miyazaki, Japan

Search for other papers by Hiroyuki Tanaka in
Google Scholar
PubMed
Close
,
Yuichiro Sato Diagnostic Pathology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Miyazaki, Miyazaki, Japan

Search for other papers by Yuichiro Sato in
Google Scholar
PubMed
Close
,
Ayumu Hosokawa Clinical Oncology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Miyazaki, Miyazaki, Japan

Search for other papers by Ayumu Hosokawa in
Google Scholar
PubMed
Close
,
Shinsuke Takeno Departments of Surgery, Faculty of Medicine, University of Miyazaki, Miyazaki, Japan

Search for other papers by Shinsuke Takeno in
Google Scholar
PubMed
Close
,
Kunihide Nakamura Departments of Surgery, Faculty of Medicine, University of Miyazaki, Miyazaki, Japan

Search for other papers by Kunihide Nakamura in
Google Scholar
PubMed
Close
, and
Atsushi Nanashima Departments of Surgery, Faculty of Medicine, University of Miyazaki, Miyazaki, Japan

Search for other papers by Atsushi Nanashima in
Google Scholar
PubMed
Close

Summary

A 54-year-old woman was referred to our hospital with a cervical tumor. CT revealed a cervical tumor extending to the upper mediastinum, tracheal deviation and tumor infiltration in the cervical vessels. She was followed-up because no diagnosis of malignancy was made by cytology. However, 2 months later, a CT scan showed enlargement of the tumor and tracheal stenosis, and a surgical biopsy was performed and she was diagnosed with anaplastic thyroid cancer (ATC). The tracheal tube with tracheal stenosis could not be removed due to the rapid growth of the tumor, necessitating management by mechanical ventilation. Due to the difficulty of surgical resection, she was treated with lenvatinib. A lenvatinib solution was made and administered via a nasogastric tube. After lenvatinib treatment, the tumor volume decreased and the tracheal stenosis improved. The tracheal tube was removed and oral intake became possible. She was discharged and received ambulatory lenvatinib therapy. The tumor was significantly reduced in size, but gradually grew and was exposed through the cervical wound 6 months later. Esophageal perforation occurred 10 months after the start of treatment. Lenvatinib was re-administered via a nasogastric tube. Eleven months later, the patient died of massive bleeding from the exposed cervical tumor. Patients with advanced ATC may require management with mechanical ventilation for airway stenosis or with a nasogastric tube for esophageal stenosis and perforation. We experienced a case in which lenvatinib was safely administered via a nasogastric tube while performing mechanical ventilation.

Learning points:

  • An anaplastic thyroid cancer patient under mechanical ventilator management was treated with lenvatinib via a nasogastric tube.

  • The lenvatinib solution can easily be prepared and administered via a nasogastric tube.

  • The lenvatinib solution was effective for a patient with difficulty in oral intake.

  • Lenvatinib could also improve the prognosis of an anaplastic thyroid cancer patient with severe airway and esophageal trouble.

Open access
Haruhiko Yamazaki Department of Breast and Endocrine Surgery, Kanagawa Cancer Center, Yokohama City, Kanagawa, Japan

Search for other papers by Haruhiko Yamazaki in
Google Scholar
PubMed
Close
,
Hiroyuki Iwasaki Department of Breast and Endocrine Surgery, Kanagawa Cancer Center, Yokohama City, Kanagawa, Japan

Search for other papers by Hiroyuki Iwasaki in
Google Scholar
PubMed
Close
,
Nobuyasu Suganuma Department of Breast and Endocrine Surgery, Kanagawa Cancer Center, Yokohama City, Kanagawa, Japan

Search for other papers by Nobuyasu Suganuma in
Google Scholar
PubMed
Close
,
Soji Toda Department of Breast and Endocrine Surgery, Kanagawa Cancer Center, Yokohama City, Kanagawa, Japan

Search for other papers by Soji Toda in
Google Scholar
PubMed
Close
,
Katsuhiko Masudo Department of Breast and Thyroid Surgery, Yokohama City University Medical Center, Yokohama City, Kanagawa, Japan

Search for other papers by Katsuhiko Masudo in
Google Scholar
PubMed
Close
,
Hirotaka Nakayama Department of Surgery, Yokohama City University School of Medicine, Yokohama City, Kanagawa, Japan

Search for other papers by Hirotaka Nakayama in
Google Scholar
PubMed
Close
,
Yasushi Rino Department of Surgery, Yokohama City University School of Medicine, Yokohama City, Kanagawa, Japan

Search for other papers by Yasushi Rino in
Google Scholar
PubMed
Close
, and
Munetaka Masuda Department of Surgery, Yokohama City University School of Medicine, Yokohama City, Kanagawa, Japan

Search for other papers by Munetaka Masuda in
Google Scholar
PubMed
Close

Summary

Anaplastic transformation of a primary thyroid tumor whose process can be followed is rare. The objective this study is to report a case of anaplastic transformation of locally advanced papillary thyroid carcinoma after treatment with lenvatinib. A 74-year-old woman consulted a local physician because of cough and bloody sputum. Thyroid cancer with tracheal invasion was suspected on computed tomography (CT) imaging, and she visited our hospital for treatment. We suspected anaplastic thyroid cancer (ATC) and core needle biopsy was performed. Histologic sections of the core needle biopsy showed that the tumor formed a papillary structure, and we diagnosed papillary thyroid carcinoma. Surgery would have been difficult, and we initiated lenvatinib at a low dose of 8 mg/day. CT on day 40 of lenvatinib treatment revealed that the thyroid tumor had shrunk remarkably. CT on day 111 revealed that tumor regrowth and tracheal invasion had been exacerbated. Core needle biopsy was performed, and histologic sections of the core needle biopsy that was performed after regrowth of the tumor showed that individual cancer cells had large, irregular nuclei, and necrosis was also observed. The immunohistochemical findings were negative for thyroglobulin, and only a few cells were positive for thyroid transcription factor 1, and we diagnosed ATC. Anaplastic transformation of the target lesion may be one of the causes of lenvatinib treatment failure in differentiated thyroid carcinoma.

Learning points:

  • Anaplastic transformation of a primary thyroid tumor whose process can be followed is rare.

  • The resistance mechanism of lenvatinib in treatment for differentiated thyroid carcinoma has not been clarified.

  • Anaplastic transformation of the target lesion may be one of the causes of lenvatinib treatment failure in differentiated thyroid carcinoma.

Open access
Taisuke Uchida Department of Neurology, Respirology, Endocrinology and Metabolism, Faculty of Medicine, University of Miyazaki, Miyazaki, Japan

Search for other papers by Taisuke Uchida in
Google Scholar
PubMed
Close
,
Hideki Yamaguchi Department of Neurology, Respirology, Endocrinology and Metabolism, Faculty of Medicine, University of Miyazaki, Miyazaki, Japan

Search for other papers by Hideki Yamaguchi in
Google Scholar
PubMed
Close
,
Kazuhiro Nagamine Department of Neurology, Respirology, Endocrinology and Metabolism, Faculty of Medicine, University of Miyazaki, Miyazaki, Japan

Search for other papers by Kazuhiro Nagamine in
Google Scholar
PubMed
Close
,
Tadato Yonekawa Department of Neurology, Respirology, Endocrinology and Metabolism, Faculty of Medicine, University of Miyazaki, Miyazaki, Japan

Search for other papers by Tadato Yonekawa in
Google Scholar
PubMed
Close
,
Eriko Nakamura Department of Diagnostic Pathology, University of Miyazaki Hospital, Faculty of Medicine, University of Miyazaki, Miyazaki, Japan

Search for other papers by Eriko Nakamura in
Google Scholar
PubMed
Close
,
Nobuhiro Shibata Department of Clinical Oncology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Miyazaki, Miyazaki, Japan

Search for other papers by Nobuhiro Shibata in
Google Scholar
PubMed
Close
,
Fumiaki Kawano Division of the Gastrointestinal, Endocrine and Pediatric Surgery, Department of Surgery, Faculty of Medicine, University of Miyazaki, Miyazaki, Japan

Search for other papers by Fumiaki Kawano in
Google Scholar
PubMed
Close
,
Yujiro Asada Department of Diagnostic Pathology, University of Miyazaki Hospital, Faculty of Medicine, University of Miyazaki, Miyazaki, Japan

Search for other papers by Yujiro Asada in
Google Scholar
PubMed
Close
, and
Masamitsu Nakazato Department of Neurology, Respirology, Endocrinology and Metabolism, Faculty of Medicine, University of Miyazaki, Miyazaki, Japan

Search for other papers by Masamitsu Nakazato in
Google Scholar
PubMed
Close

Summary

We report a case of rapid pleural effusion after discontinuation of lenvatinib. A 73-year-old woman was diagnosed with poorly differentiated thyroid cancer with right pleural metastasis. Weekly paclitaxel treatment was performed for 18 weeks, but it was not effective. Oral administration of lenvatinib, a multi-target tyrosine kinase inhibitor, reduced the size of cervical and thoracic tumors and lowered serum thyroglobulin levels. Lenvatinib was discontinued on day 28 because of Grade 2 thrombocytopenia and Grade 3 petechiae. Seven days after discontinuation of lenvatinib, the patient was hospitalized because of dyspnea and right pleural effusion. Pleural effusion rapidly improved with drainage and re-initiation of lenvatinib and did not recur. Anorexia caused by lenvatinib led to undernutrition, which resulted in death 13 months after initiation of lenvatinib. Autopsy revealed extensive necrosis with primary and metastatic lesions, suggesting that the patient responded to lenvatinib. Physicians should be aware of the possibility of flare-up in patients with thyroid cancer treated with lenvatinib.

Learning points:

  • Autopsy findings revealed that lenvatinib was efficacious in treating poorly differentiated thyroid cancer without primary lesion resection.

  • Flare-up phenomenon may occur in thyroid cancer treated with lenvatinib.

  • Attention should be paid to flare-up phenomenon within a few days of discontinuing lenvatinib.

Open access
Kazuyuki Oishi Kochi Health Sciences Center – Divisions of Breast & Thyroid Surgery, Kochi, Japan

Search for other papers by Kazuyuki Oishi in
Google Scholar
PubMed
Close
,
Daisuke Takabatake Kochi Health Sciences Center – Divisions of Breast & Thyroid Surgery, Kochi, Japan

Search for other papers by Daisuke Takabatake in
Google Scholar
PubMed
Close
, and
Yuichi Shibuya Kochi Health Sciences Center – Divisions of Breast & Thyroid Surgery, Kochi, Japan

Search for other papers by Yuichi Shibuya in
Google Scholar
PubMed
Close

Summary

We experienced a case of an 82-year-old woman who presented to our hospital with a 1-month history of dysphagia and dyspnea. Cervical contrast-enhanced computed tomography revealed diffuse thyroid neoplasms causing significant tracheal stenosis with tumors, particularly of the superior mediastinum, which were associated with an embolism of the brachiocephalic vein and suspected invasion to the bilateral common carotid arteries. Anaplastic thyroid cancer (ATC) was diagnosed by fine-needle aspiration; thus, emergency tracheostomy and gastrostomy were performed. We made a definitive diagnosis of ATC (T4bN0M0 Stage IVB) and initiated continuous lenvatinib administration at 24 mg/day. Although several adverse events occurred, the tumor size reduced remarkably over a short period. However, the patient died from rupture of the common carotid artery 30 days after treatment initiation. Here, we report our experience with lenvatinib therapy for ATC and include a literature review.

Learning points:

  • Lenvatinib is extremely effective for ATC.

  • Lenvatinib has a much greater cytoreductive effect than traditional therapies, but it needs dose reduction or withdrawal because of treatment-related side effects.

  • Lenvatinib may cause treatment-related carotid blowout syndrome, resulting in death for patients with invasion to the carotid artery.

Open access