Bay Biosciences provides high quality, clinical grade bio-samples, cryogenically preserved tumor tissue, FFPE blocks with matched sera (serum), plasma and peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) biofluid specimens from patients diagnosed with Anaplastic Thyroid Carcinoma.
The sera (serum), plasma and PBMC biofluid samples are processed from patient’s peripheral whole-blood using customized collection and processing protocols. The Anaplastic Thyroid Carcinoma bio-specimens are collected from unique patients diagnosed with from Anaplastic Thyroid Carcinoma and are provided to a valued pharmaceutical customer for translational research, genomics, proteomics and biomarker research, drug discovery and development.
Anaplastic Thyroid Carcinoma Overview
Anaplastic thyroid cancer is the most rare and lethal form of thyroid cancer. Thyroid cancer occurs in the cells of the thyroid, which is a butterfly-shaped gland located at the base of the neck, just below the Adam’s apple. The thyroid gland produces hormones that regulate the heart rate, blood pressure, body temperature and weight. Thyroid cancer might not cause any symptoms at first. But as it grows, it can cause pain and swelling in the neck. Several types of thyroid cancer exist. Some grow very slowly and others can be very aggressive. Most cases of thyroid cancer can be cured with treatment. Thyroid cancer rates seem to be increasing. Some doctors think this is because new technology is allowing them to find small thyroid cancers that may not have been found earlier in the past.
Anaplastic Carcinoma of the thyroid (ATC) is the most aggressive, lethal and rare thyroid gland malignancy. Although ATC accounts for less than 2% of all thyroid cancers, it causes up to 40% of deaths from thyroid cancers. The aggressive nature of ATC makes treatment studies difficult to perform. The overall 5-year survival rate is reportedly less than 10%, and most patients do not live longer than a few months after diagnosis.
Anaplastic thyroid cancer (ATC) starts within the thyroid as a growth, or bump (nodule) in the thyroid that quickly grows out of the otherwise normal thyroid tissue. Anaplastic thyroid cancer can grow alarmingly fast and spread very rapidly. Thyroid cancer patients rarely present with symptoms but anaplastic thyroid cancer is an exception to that observation in that most patients actually present with symptoms. Anaplastic thyroid cancer patients often present with a rapidly progressing neck mass. Patients can also often present with hoarseness (vocal cord paralysis), difficulty swallowing or a mass in the neck which does not move. Unlike other more common types of thyroid cancer, prompt evaluation and treatment is critical to successful management of this most aggressive thyroid cancer.
Early diagnosis of anaplastic thyroid cancer (ATC) of the thyroid is very rare. Anaplastic thyroid cancers can grow alarmingly fast. Anaplastic thyroid cancers can grow significantly in weeks and sometimes even days. The signs of anaplastic thyroid cancer of a lump in the neck and voice changes are usually late findings. Anaplastic thyroid cancer (ATC) effects men more commonly than women and has a peek incidence at an older age than all other thyroid cancers around 65 years of age.
Anaplastic Thyroid Carcinoma Symptoms
Unlike almost all other thyroid cancers, Anaplastic Thyroid Cancer (ATC) usually has symptoms. Although it almost never causes hyperthyroidism (increased thyroid function) or hypothyroidism (decreased thyroid function), it usually grows so fast and grows locally invasive into surrounding tissues that either its rapid growth rate or local invasion produces its first symptoms.
The most common symptoms of Anaplastic Thyroid Cancer (ATC) are the rapid growth of a neck mass and changes to voice and and swallowing. Most importantly, anaplastic thyroid cancer is most commonly diagnosed by expert cytologists (doctors that look at cells under a microscope) following fine needle aspiration analysis of cells obtained from the thyroid gland itself or neck lymph nodes containing metastatic anaplastic thyroid cancer. Anaplastic thyroid cancer certainly can spread into the lymph nodes of the neck. In fact, at least 90% of anaplastic thyroid cancers will have spread to neck lymph nodes on their initial presentation. Anaplastic thyroid cancer has a great risk of growing into blood vessels in and around the thyroid gland and directly invading the tissues that lay along side the thyroid gland. This is called angioinvasion and soft tissue invasion, respectively. Anaplastic thyroid cancer almost routinely will spread to lymph nodes of the neck. But independent of this observation, all anaplastic thyroid cancers have a very high risk of recurrence and distant spread of disease essentially within one year of their diagnosis.
Anaplastic Thyroid Carcinoma Causes
It’s not clear what causes thyroid cancer. Thyroid cancer occurs when cells in the thyroid gland undergo genetic changes (mutations). The mutations allow the cells to grow and multiply rapidly. The cells also lose the ability to die, as normal cells would. The accumulating abnormal thyroid cells form a tumor. The abnormal cells can invade nearby tissue and can spread (metastasize) to other parts of the body.
Types of Thyroid Cancer include:
- Papillary Thyroid Cancer: The most common form of thyroid cancer, papillary thyroid cancer arises from follicular cells, which produce and store thyroid hormones. Papillary thyroid cancer can occur at any age, but most often it affects people ages 30 to 50. Doctors sometimes refer to papillary thyroid cancer and follicular thyroid cancer together as differentiated thyroid cancer.
- Follicular Thyroid Cancer: Follicular thyroid cancer also arises from the follicular
cells of the thyroid. It usually affects people older than age 50. Hurthle cell
cancer is a rare and potentially more aggressive type of follicular thyroid cancer. - Anaplastic Thyroid Cancer: Anaplastic thyroid cancer is a rare type of thyroid cancer that begins in the follicular cells. It grows rapidly and is very difficult to treat. Anaplastic thyroid cancer typically occurs in adults age 60 and older.
- Medullary Thyroid Cancer: Medullary thyroid cancer begins in thyroid cells called C cells, which produce the hormone calcitonin. Elevated levels of calcitonin in the blood can indicate medullary thyroid cancer at a very early stage. Certain genetic syndromes increase the risk of medullary thyroid cancer, although this genetic link is uncommon.
- Other Rare Types of Thyroid Cancer: Other very rare types of cancer that start in the thyroid include thyroid lymphoma, which begins in the immune system cells of the thyroid, and thyroid sarcoma, which begins in the connective tissue cells of the thyroid.
Anaplastic Thyroid Carcinoma Risk Factors
Factors that may increase the risk of thyroid cancer include:
- Male Sex- Thyroid cancer occurs more often in men over the age of 65 than in women.
- Exposure to high levels of radiation- Radiation therapy treatments to the head and neck increase the risk of thyroid cancer.
- Certain inherited genetic syndromes- Genetic syndromes that increase the risk of thyroid cancer include familial medullary thyroid cancer, multiple endocrine neoplasia, Cowden’s syndrome and familial adenomatous polyposis.
Anaplastic Thyroid Carcinoma Complications
Despite treatment, thyroid cancer can return, even if the thyroid has been surgically removed. This could happen if microscopic cancer cells spread beyond the thyroid before it’s removed.
Thyroid Cancer may recur in:
- Lymph nodes in the neck
- Small pieces of thyroid tissue left behind during surgery
- Other areas of the body, such as the lungs and bones
Thyroid cancer that recurs can be treated. Doctors may recommend periodic blood tests or thyroid scans to check for signs of a thyroid cancer recurrence.
Anaplastic Thyroid Carcinoma Prevention
Doctors are not sure what causes most cases of thyroid cancer, so there’s no way to prevent thyroid cancer in people who have an average risk of the disease.
Prevention for people with a high risk
Adults and children with an inherited gene mutation that increases the risk of medullary thyroid cancer may consider thyroid surgery to prevent cancer (prophylactic thyroidectomy). Options can be discussed with a genetic counselor who can explain the risk of thyroid cancer and the treatment options.
Prevention for people near nuclear power plants
A medication that blocks the effects of radiation on the thyroid is sometimes provided to people living near nuclear power plants. The medication (potassium iodide) could be used in the unlikely event of a nuclear reactor accident. People living within 10 miles of a nuclear power plant maybe at high risk of radiation exposure.
Detailed clinical data, MRI scan, elevated biomarker levels, genetic and metabolic information, FNA biopsy, ultrasound, pathology annotations associated with the Anaplastic Thyroid Carcinoma patient’s specimens is provided to a valued customer for drug discover, development and research. The Anaplastic Thyroid Carcinoma sera (serum), plasma and peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) biofluid samples are processed from patients peripheral whole-blood using customized collection and processing protocols provided by the researcher.
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