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Primary Squamous Cell Carcinoma in the Thyroid Gland: A Population-Based Analysis Using the SEER Database

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Abstract

Objects

To evaluate prognostic factors and treatment outcomes of primary squamous cell carcinoma in thyroid (PSCCTh) over the past decades using a large national database.

Methods

All patients diagnosed with PSCCTh between 1973 and 2015 were identified with the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results Program (SEER) 18-registry database. Relevant clinical data were collected, and prognostic factors of overall survival (OS) and disease-specific survival (DSS) were analyzed.

Results

This cohort study included 242 patients, accounting for 0.12% of all primary thyroid carcinomas from 1973 to 2015 nationwide. Of the patients with PSCCTh, 75% were older than 60 years at diagnosis. Patient age older than 60 years (HR 2.242, 95% CI 1.367–3.676, P = 0.001) and a tumor size larger than or equal to 50 mm (HR 1.479, 95% CI 1.011–2.165, P = 0.044) were independent negative prognostic factors. The univariate analysis suggested that the morphological subtype (OS, P = 0.033; DSS, P = 0.048), clinical treatment modality (OS, P < 0.0001; DSS, P < 0.0001), and T stage (OS, P = 0.004; DSS, P = 0.001) were important predictive factors for OS and DSS. In contrast, gender, race, year of diagnosis, geographic location, N stage, and M stage were not prognostic factors.

Conclusions

PSCCTh is a rare malignancy with an aggressive nature and poor prognosis. Survival is predicted by the treatment modality, patient age, T stage, tumor size, and morphological subtypes. This study showed that early diagnosis and complete surgical resection plus adjuvant radiation therapy were associated with a better outcome.

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Author information

Author notes

  1. Shuwen Yang and Cunfu Li are co-first authors.

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Head and Neck Surgery, Fudan University Shanghai Cancer Center, Shanghai, 200032, China

    Shuwen Yang, Xiao Shi, Ben Ma, Weibo Xu, Hongyi Jiang, Wanlin Liu, Qinghai Ji & Yu Wang

  2. Department of Oncology, Shanghai Medical College, Fudan University, Shanghai, 200032, China

    Shuwen Yang, Xiao Shi, Ben Ma, Weibo Xu, Hongyi Jiang, Wanlin Liu, Qinghai Ji & Yu Wang

  3. Cancer Research Institute, Fudan University Shanghai Cancer Center, Shanghai, 200032, China

    Shuwen Yang, Ben Ma, Weibo Xu, Hongyi Jiang, Qinghai Ji & Yu Wang

  4. Department of Thyroid Surgery, Weihai Central Hospital, Weihai, 264400, China

    Cunfu Li

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  1. Shuwen Yang
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  2. Cunfu Li
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  9. Yu Wang
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Correspondence to Yu Wang.

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Yang, S., Li, C., Shi, X. et al. Primary Squamous Cell Carcinoma in the Thyroid Gland: A Population-Based Analysis Using the SEER Database. World J Surg 43, 1249–1255 (2019). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00268-019-04906-2

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00268-019-04906-2

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