Prognostic factors in patients with recurrent differentiated thyroid carcinoma

✍ Scribed by Asakawa, Hideki; Kobayashi, Tetsuro; Komoike, Yoshifumi; Tamaki, Yasuhiro; Matsuzawa, Yuji; Monden, Morito

• Publisher: John Wiley and Sons
• Year: 1997
• Tongue: English
• Weight: 100 KB
• Volume: 64
• Category: Article
• ISSN: 0022-4790
• DOI: 10.1002/(sici)1096-9098(199703)64:3<202::aid-jso5>3.0.co;2-e

✦ Synopsis

Background: Approximately 20% of patients with thyroid carcinoma have relapse. To evaluate the factors affecting their disease-free survival and prognosis, we studied 68 patients with recurrent differentiated thyroid carcinoma, ranging in age from 5 to 73 years (mean: 47.6 years). Threefourths of patients were followed for >10 years. Thirty-nine patients were treated with total or subtotal thyroidectomy at first operation; the remainder underwent lesser operations. Fifty-six patients had local recurrence, mostly lymph node infiltration. Twenty-six patients died. Methods: Survival curves were constructed using the Kaplan-Meier method. Factors affecting relapse and survival were tested by univariate or multivariate analysis. Results: Univariate analysis identified age at diagnosis, local tumor extension, and surgical method as significant factors for disease-free survival. These three factors and histology were significant prognostic factors. Multivariate analysis showed age, histology, and disease-free interval as significant and independent variables. Conclusions: In high-risk patients, complete resection of thyroid tissue and cervical lymph nodes is critical.