County Median Family Income Is an Independent Prognostic Factor for Stage IV Anaplastic Thyroid Cancer

Anticancer Res. 2019 Feb;39(2):949-956. doi: 10.21873/anticanres.13198.

Abstract

Background/aim: Advanced anaplastic thyroid cancer (ATC) is a rare, but highly aggressive malignancy, and its prognostic factors need to be further explored. We examined socioeconomic factors' predictive effect for survival performance in stage IV ATC patients.

Materials and methods: Using the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results database, we collected 1,048 cases with stage IV anaplastic thyroid cancer (ATC) from 2004 to 2015. Demographic, clinical, and socioeconomic factors were evaluated using univariate and multivariate analyses.

Results: Median family income showed a significant effect on overall survival (OS) and cancer-specific survival (CSS) in univariate analysis. Median family income level was found to be an independent prognostic factor for OS after multivariate adjustment Multivariate analysis for CSS showed similar results.

Conclusion: Family income level is an independent prognostic factor for stage IV ATC.

Keywords: Anaplastic thyroid cancer; county level median family income; prognostic factor; socioeconomic factors.

MeSH terms

  • Aged
  • Aged, 80 and over
  • Disease-Free Survival
  • Female
  • Humans
  • Income*
  • Male
  • Middle Aged
  • Multivariate Analysis
  • Neoplasm Staging
  • Prognosis
  • Retrospective Studies
  • SEER Program
  • Thyroid Carcinoma, Anaplastic / epidemiology*
  • Thyroid Carcinoma, Anaplastic / pathology
  • Thyroid Gland
  • Thyroid Neoplasms / epidemiology*
  • Thyroid Neoplasms / pathology
  • Thyroidectomy
  • United States