The Safety and Efficacy of Weekly Paclitaxel Administration for Anaplastic Thyroid Cancer Patients: A Nationwide Prospective Study

Background: Anaplastic thyroid cancer (ATC) is a rare and extremely aggressive malignancy, with a median survival of less than 6 months due to rapid progression and resistance to multimodal therapies. Effective treatment strategies have not been identified. A prospective clinical study was performed to objectively evaluate outcomes of treatment with paclitaxel. Methods: An investigator-initiated, multicenter, nonrandomized, open-label, single-arm study to evaluate the feasibility and efficacy of weekly paclitaxel (80 mg/m2) administration for patients with pathologically confirmed ATC was conducted in a nationwide organization. Results: Feasibility was analyzed in 56 patients. More than one course of treatment was performed in 52 (93%) patients retaining sufficient dose intensity (>84%). No patient had to terminate the treatment because of an adverse event. The median overall survival was 6.7 months [confidence interval 4.4–9.0]. The 6-month survival was 54%. Among the 42 patients with an evaluable lesion...