Evidence map›Paper›PMID 40131622›Full record

ArticleAnnals of surgical oncology2025

Rare but Complex: Outcomes and Challenges in Managing Composite Follicular-Anaplastic Thyroid Cancer.

Dilay Aykan, Hala Al Asadi, Anjani Turaga, Lutske Lodewijk, Brendan M Finnerty, Thomas J Fahey, Inne H M Borel Rinkes, Menno R Vriens, Rasa Zarnegar

Abstract read
PubMed Publisher
In one paragraph

Article in Annals of surgical oncology, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 1 paper.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
1citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

1 citing paper in PubMed.

  1. Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

9 authors.

Dilay AykanDepartment of Surgery, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, NY, USA.
Hala Al AsadiDepartment of Surgery, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, NY, USA.
Anjani TuragaDepartment of Surgery, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, NY, USA.
Lutske LodewijkDepartment of Surgical Oncology and Endocrine Surgery, University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht, The Netherlands.
Brendan M FinnertyDepartment of Surgery, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, NY, USA.
Thomas J FaheyDepartment of Surgery, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, NY, USA.
Inne H M Borel RinkesDepartment of Surgical Oncology and Endocrine Surgery, University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht, The Netherlands.
Menno R VriensDepartment of Surgical Oncology and Endocrine Surgery, University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht, The Netherlands.
Rasa ZarnegarDepartment of Surgery, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, NY, USA. Raz2002@med.cornell.edu.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundA subset of follicular thyroid cancers (FTC) can dedifferentiate into anaplastic thyroid cancer (ATC), forming composite FTC/ATC tumors. The effect of this dedifferentiation on survival outcomes remains unclear. This study aimed to characterize the clinicopathologic features of composite FTC/ATC tumors and assess their disease-specific survival (DSS). PATIENTS AND

methodsThe Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) database (2000-2020) was used to identify patients with FTC, composite FTC/ATC, and ATC. Propensity score matching (PSM) was performed on the basis of age, sex, race, and histologic subtype. Clinicopathologic characteristics, DSS, and treatment outcomes were compared.

resultsA total of 60 patients with composite FTC/ATC were matched to 180 patients with FTC and 180 patients with ATC. Compared with FTC, composite tumors were associated with larger size (p < 0.001), extra-thyroidal extension (ETE) (p < 0.001), lymph node (p < 0.001) and distant metastases (p = 0.002), more external beam radiation (p < 0.001), and chemotherapy (p < 0.001), but less radioactive iodine (RAI) (p < 0.001). Compared with ATC, composite tumors showed less ETE (p = 0.01), fewer lymph node metastases (p = 0.01), less chemotherapy (p = 0.002), and more RAI (p = 0.002). The median survival of patients with co-FTC/ATC was 7 months (p < 0.001). Advanced age (hazard ratio, HR 1.05; 95% confidence intervals, CI 1.02-1.08) and incomplete thyroidectomy (HR 2.58, 95% CI 1.20-5.56) predicted worse DSS.

conclusionsComposite FTC/ATC tumors have survival outcomes that fall between those of FTC and ATC. Total thyroidectomy is a key component of treatment, as incomplete thyroidectomy is linked to poorer survival. Further research is needed to explore how the proportion of ATC within composite tumors influences survival outcomes.

Indexed as

Adenocarcinoma, FollicularThyroid Carcinoma, AnaplasticThyroidectomyThyroid NeoplasmsAdultAgedFemaleFollow-Up StudiesHumansLymphatic MetastasisMaleMiddle AgedPrognosisSEER ProgramSurvival RateAnaplastic thyroid cancerComposite follicular and anaplastic thyroid cancerDisease-specific survivalFollicular thyroid cancerPropensity score matchingSEER database analysis

Identifiers

PMID40131622

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.