Abstract
We report herein a case of papillary carcinoma which appeared to transform into anaplastic carcinoma during postoperative radioactive iodine-131 (131I) therapy. A 67-year-old man who was diagnosed as having papillary thyroid carcinoma with bilateral neck lymph node involvement and multiple lung metastases underwent total thyroidectomy prior to131I therapy. Immediately after a second course of131I therapy, the patient complained of right neck pain and swelling, and a biopsy of the swollen neck lymph node was taken. Histologic examination of this biopsy specimen revealed anaplastic carcinoma. With p53 immunohistochemical staining, both the primary tumor and the biopsy specimen were positive. We speculate that first, some DNA damage in tumor cells was induced by the initial131I therapy, but neither DNA repair nor cell apoptosis occurred because the p53 gene was already mutated; then further DNA damage was induced by the second131I therapy, leading to anaplastic transformation.
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Shingu, K., Kobayashi, S., Yokoyama, S. et al. The likely transformation of papillary thyroid carcinoma into anaplastic carcinoma during postoperative radioactive iodine-131 therapy: Report of a case. Surg Today 30, 910–913 (2000). https://doi.org/10.1007/s005950070043
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s005950070043