Are TERT Promoter Mutations a Poor Prognostic Factor in Anaplastic Thyroid Carcinoma?
10.11106/ijt.2024.17.2.286
- Author:
Hyun Jin RYU
1
;
Young Lyun OH
;
Jung HEO
;
Hyunju PARK
;
Tae Hyuk KIM
;
Sun Wook KIM
;
Jae Hoon CHUNG
Author Information
1. Division of Endocrinology and Metabolism, Department of Medicine, Thyroid Center, Samsung Medical Center, Sungkyunkwan University School of Medicine, Seoul, Korea
- Publication Type:ORIGINAL ARTICLES
- From:International Journal of Thyroidology
2024;17(2):286-294
- CountryRepublic of Korea
- Language:English
-
Abstract:
Background and Objectives:Telomerase reverse transcriptase (TERT) promoter mutations are a poor prognostic factor in differentiated thyroid carcinoma (DTC). However, their prognostic value in anaplastic thyroid carcinoma (ATC) is unclear. Therefore, we investigated whether TERT promoter mutations also act as an independent poor prognostic factor in ATC.
Materials and Methods:We reviewed the medical records of 41 patients with ATC who underwent the TERT promoter mutations test at Samsung Medical Center between November 1995 and December 2022. The aggressive treatment group was defined as patients who underwent surgery, external radiotherapy, and systemic therapy.
Results:Among 41 patients, 15 (36.6%) showed TERT promoter mutations. There only differences in the clinicopathological characteristics between the TERT-mutant and wild-type groups were tumor size and coexistence of DTC. Median tumor size in the TERT-mutant group was 5.1 cm (3.0-11.0), which was significantly larger than that in the wild-type group (4.1 cm, 0.8-8.0, p=0.010). Nevertheless, the TERT-mutant group received relatively more aggressive treatment (53.3% vs. 19.2%, p=0.056), and the overall survival of the TERT-mutant group was longer than that of the wild-type group (9.4 months [0.4-51.5] vs. 7.1 months [0.4-49.5]), but its difference was not significant (p=0.458). In multiple regression analysis, distant metastasis was a significant prognostic factor, but TERT promoter mutation was not.
Conclusion:Unlike in DTC, TERT promoter mutations were not an independent poor prognostic factor in ATC.
