Anaplastic Thyroid Carcinoma
Pronunciation: an-uh-PLAS-tik
Also written as: ATC — Anaplastic Thyroid Carcinoma
An aggressive, undifferentiated thyroid cancer with rapid growth and poor prognosis.
Full Definition
Anaplastic thyroid carcinoma (ATC) is the most aggressive form of thyroid cancer, characterized by complete loss of cellular differentiation and extremely rapid growth. This rare malignancy typically presents as a rapidly enlarging neck mass in elderly patients and carries an almost universally fatal prognosis with median survival measured in months. The tumor cells are highly pleomorphic and may be mistaken for sarcoma or lymphoma. ATC does not concentrate iodine and is generally resistant to conventional thyroid cancer treatments. Diagnosis requires immunohistochemical confirmation of epithelial origin.
Usage
Usage note: Often abbreviated as ATC; distinguish from 'aplastic' in medical contexts.
In Context
- "Biopsy results confirmed anaplastic thyroid carcinoma with extensive local invasion." — Pathology report
- "The patient's anaplastic thyroid carcinoma progressed rapidly despite multimodal therapy." — Oncology progress note