Anaplastic thyroid cancer: Cases, incidence, prevalence and survival in Germany

Because anaplastic thyroid cancer (ATC) is a rare diagnosis, detailed epidemiological data are difficult to find in publicly accessible platforms. The aim of this study was to report current incidence and survival estimates for ATC in Germany and to analyse their trends over time. Data from the population-based cancer registries in Germany were pooled. ATC was classified according to the International Classification of Diseases, 10th edition (ICD-10). Age-standardised incidence rates (per 100,000) for the years 2011 to 2022 were calculated. The relative survival was estimated using period analysis. Annual percentage changes (APC) in the incidence and survival trends over time were computed. The number of new ATC cases diagnosed between 2011 and 2022 was 2127 (924 in men and 1203 in women). The current raw incidence is 0.19 in men and 0.22 in women. The age-standardised incidence in men changed slightly, but not significantly, during this period (APC − 2%, p = 0.126; recent rate 0.11) while it decreased in women (APC − 3%, p < 0.001; recent rate 0.10). The five-year relative survival ranged from 11% (2020–2022) to 15% (2017–2019) and decreased considerably with age. There were no differences in survival between men and women and no evidence for a change in survival over time. About two persons per 1 million inhabitants are currently diagnosed with ATC per year. Over the past 12 years, there was a slight decrease in ATC incidence, especially in women, while survival remained largely unchanged during this period.