TY - JOUR
T1 - RET activation and clinicopathologic features in poorly differentiated thyroid tumors
AU - Santoro, Massimo
AU - Papotti, Mauro
AU - Chiappetta, Gennaro
AU - Garcia-Rostan, Ginesa
AU - Volante, Marco
AU - Johnson, Chaline
AU - Camp, Robert L.
AU - Pentimalli, Francesca
AU - Monaco, Carmen
AU - Herrero, Agustin
AU - Carcangiu, Maria Luisa
AU - Fusco, Alfredo
AU - Tallini, Giovanni
PY - 2002
Y1 - 2002
N2 - Poorly differentiated carcinoma of the thyroid gland (PDC) represents an heterogeneous group of epithelial neoplasms with morphologic features and clinical characteristics intermediate between well differentiated and anaplastic (undifferentiated) carcinomas. Unlike well differentiated tumors, PDCs are associated with significant morbidity and mortality. The general prevalence of RET/PTC rearrangement in thyroid PDC and its impact on patient outcome are unknown. To address these issues and to identify prognostically relevant clinicopathologic parameters, we have investigated a series of 62 PDCs. RET/PTC rearrangement, analyzed by RT-PCR and immunohistochemistry using antibodies specific for the tyrosine kinase and juxtamembrane portions of the RET protein, was identified in 8/62 (12.9%) PDCs. RET/PTC was more common in cases with histologic evidence indicating coexistence with or possible evolution from a well differentiated papillary carcinoma (5 of 25 tumors, 20%) but did not correlate with other clinicopathologic parameters. The relatively low prevalence of RET activation in PDCs argues against a major role for RET/PTC in the progression from well to poorly differentiated thyroid tumor phenotypes. Survival analysis demonstrates that poor survival in PDC is associated with old age, male sex, invasion of extrathyroidal soft tissues, coexistence in the same tumor of oncocytic features with insular growth pattern, and distant metastases but not RET activation.
AB - Poorly differentiated carcinoma of the thyroid gland (PDC) represents an heterogeneous group of epithelial neoplasms with morphologic features and clinical characteristics intermediate between well differentiated and anaplastic (undifferentiated) carcinomas. Unlike well differentiated tumors, PDCs are associated with significant morbidity and mortality. The general prevalence of RET/PTC rearrangement in thyroid PDC and its impact on patient outcome are unknown. To address these issues and to identify prognostically relevant clinicopathologic parameters, we have investigated a series of 62 PDCs. RET/PTC rearrangement, analyzed by RT-PCR and immunohistochemistry using antibodies specific for the tyrosine kinase and juxtamembrane portions of the RET protein, was identified in 8/62 (12.9%) PDCs. RET/PTC was more common in cases with histologic evidence indicating coexistence with or possible evolution from a well differentiated papillary carcinoma (5 of 25 tumors, 20%) but did not correlate with other clinicopathologic parameters. The relatively low prevalence of RET activation in PDCs argues against a major role for RET/PTC in the progression from well to poorly differentiated thyroid tumor phenotypes. Survival analysis demonstrates that poor survival in PDC is associated with old age, male sex, invasion of extrathyroidal soft tissues, coexistence in the same tumor of oncocytic features with insular growth pattern, and distant metastases but not RET activation.
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U2 - 10.1210/jc.87.1.370
DO - 10.1210/jc.87.1.370
M3 - Article
C2 - 11788678
AN - SCOPUS:18244390747
VL - 87
SP - 370
EP - 379
JO - Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism
JF - Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism
SN - 0021-972X
IS - 1
ER -