Results of rosiglitazone therapy in patients with thyroglobulin-positive and radioiodine-negative advanced differentiated thyroid cancer.

Background: Rosiglitazone is a peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor (PPAR) gamma agonist that has shown promise as both an antiproliferative and redifferentiating agent for the treatment of thyroid cancer in preclinical studies. We investigated the efficacy and side effects of rosiglitazone therapy in patients with differentiated thyroid cancer of follicular cell origin that fails to take up radioiodine or is unresectable.

Methods: Twenty patients with differentiated thyroid cancer were enrolled in an open-label, phase II trial of oral rosiglitazone treatment (4 mg daily for 1 week, then 8 mg daily for 7 weeks).

Post-thyroid FNA testing and treatment options: a synopsis of the National Cancer Institute Thyroid Fine Needle Aspiration State of the Science Conference.

The National Cancer Institute (NCI) sponsored the NCI Thyroid Fine Needle Aspiration (FNA) State of the Science Conference on October 22-23, 2007 in Bethesda, MD. The 2-day meeting was accompanied by a permanent informational Web site and several on-line discussion periods between May 1 and December 15, 2007 (http://thyroidfna.cancer.

A phase II trial of rosiglitazone in patients with thyroglobulin-positive and radioiodine-negative differentiated thyroid cancer.

Background: Rosiglitazone is a peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor gamma (PPARgamma) agonist that has been shown to induce differentiation, cell cycle arrest, and apoptosis in a variety of human cancers including thyroid cancer.

Methods: Ten patients with differentiated thyroid cancer were enrolled in an open-label, phase II trial of oral rosiglitazone treatment (4 mg daily for 1 week, then 8 mg daily for 7 weeks). The levels of PPARgamma receptor mRNA and protein expression were determined in the patient's neoplasm.

Extent of disease and practice patterns for medullary thyroid cancer.

Background: There have been significant improvements in the management of medullary thyroid cancer (MTC), and consensus treatment guidelines have been established by numerous international and national societies. It is unclear if the advances in diagnosis and treatment of MTC have led to earlier diagnosis and more complete initial treatment of patients with MTC.

Study Design: Patients with MTC (n=1,070) were identified in the National Cancer Institute's Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) database from 12 population-based cancer registries between 1973 and 2000.

Anaplastic thyroid carcinoma. Treatment outcome and prognostic factors.

Background: Anaplastic thyroid carcinoma (ATC) is rare but is one of the most aggressive human malignancies. Several prognostic factors have been observed in patients with ATC, and some experts advocate aggressive multimodal therapy in selected patients. However, it is unclear whether such an approach significantly improves survival.