Prolonged survival of anaplastic thyroid carcinoma is associated with resectability, low tumor-infiltrating neutrophils/myeloid-derived suppressor cells, and low peripheral neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio

Purpose Anaplastic thyroid carcinoma (ATC) is the most lethal form of thyroid cancer with most patients dying of their disease within a few months. Only a very small percentage of long-term survivors (LTS) are alive for 2 years or longer. In this retrospective case-control study, we provided a comprehensive comparison between 46 ATC LTSs and 75 ATC control patients who suffered disease-specific mortality within 2 years, aiming to identify factors that may be associated with prolonged survival in ATC. Methods A comprehensive clinicopathologic and molecular comparison was performed between 46 ATC LTSs and 75 ATC control patients. Peripheral neutrophil count and neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR) were recorded. The composition of the tumor microenvironment was compared using immunohistochemistry. Results Compared with ATC control patients, ATC LTSs were characterized by 1) higher frequency of (primary) resection as well as clinicopathologic parameters attributed to resectability; 2) lower rate of concurrent RAS/BRAF and TERT promoter mutations; 3) lower peripheral neutrophil count and NLR; and 4) lower number of tumor-infiltrating neutrophils/myeloid-derived suppressor cells (MDSC). The survival benefits of low peripheral neutrophil counts and low NLR persisted even when controlling for distant metastasis status at presentation. Conclusions In addition to traditional beneficial prognostic factors, e.g., surgical resection, factors attributed to resectability, and absence of co-existing RAS/BRAF and TERT promoter mutations, we herein show that tumor-infiltrating and circulating neutrophils/MDSC are adverse prognostic factors in ATC.