The role of surgery in the management of anaplastic thyroid carcinoma

Abstract Though rare, anaplastic thyroid carcinoma is highly aggressive and accounts for a disproportionally large percentage of thyroid cancer mortalities. Due to its aggressive nature, there is currently no established treatment protocol that has been shown to improve overall survival, with a disease-specific mortality approaching 100 percent. However, many therapeutic options, including surgical intervention, have been explored. This review focuses on the role of surgical intervention in the management of anaplastic thyroid carcinoma, ranging from total thyroidectomy with extended neck dissections to debulking and downstaging, as well as the utility of multimodal treatment. While the diagnosis and treatment of anaplastic thyroid carcinoma (ATC) should be considered medically urgent, a high priority should also be given to end-of-life planning to optimize the patient\u0027s quality of remaining life.