Professional
Technical
In the Industry Vocabulary Test
anaplastic thyroid carcinoma
Also written as: ATC
Highly aggressive, undifferentiated thyroid cancer with poor prognosis.
Full Definition
The most aggressive form of thyroid cancer, characterized by complete loss of follicular differentiation and extremely rapid growth. Anaplastic thyroid carcinoma typically presents as a rapidly enlarging neck mass with local invasion and early distant metastases. The tumor is uniformly fatal, with median survival measured in months. Treatment is primarily palliative, focusing on airway management and symptom control, though aggressive multimodal therapy may be attempted in selected cases with limited disease.
Usage
Usage note: Emphasize the extremely poor prognosis and need for urgent management in documentation.
In Context
- "Anaplastic thyroid carcinoma was confirmed on core needle biopsy, precluding curative surgical intervention." — Pathology report
- "Emergency tracheostomy was required due to airway compromise from anaplastic thyroid carcinoma." — Emergency procedure note
Also known as
undifferentiated thyroid carcinoma
ATC
Contrasted with
well-differentiated thyroid carcinoma
Don't confuse with
poorly differentiated thyroid carcinoma
lymphoma