Anaplastic carcinoma prognosis

All studies that have examined the outcome of patients with anaplastic carcinoma have demonstrated the bleak prognosis associated with this disease. Product-limit estimates of median survival from diagnosis range from 3 to 7 mo, and the 1-and 5-yr survival probabilities are 20-35% and 5-10%, respectively (1-6). The cause of death is related to upper airway obstruction and suffocation in 50-60% (often despite the presence of a tracheostomy), along with a combination of complications of local and distant disease in the remaining patients (2,7). Examination of survival curves from these studies reveals two distinct components: a sharp initial decline for the first 18-24 mo, followed by a slower rate of death over the ensuing years (Fig. 1). Perhaps 5% of patients with anaplastic carcinoma may survive many years after initial diagnosis and treatment without evidence of recurrent disease (2,6).