Combined therapy for thyroid squamous cell carcinoma

Background. Squamous carcinoma of the thyroid is a rare aggressive disease, resulting in poor prognosis. Methods. and Results. We combined cisplatin with paclitaxel on a weekly basis as induction therapy, achieving a high cumulative dose, in a patient with squamous cell tumor of the thyroid with arterial encasement. After surgery, pathologic examination confirmed a complete resection of the primary tumor with clear margins, revealing a successful induction treatment with chemotherapy. Conclusions. Our patient now has a recurrence-free survival of >20 months, longer than the mean survival described in the literature.