Active surveillance of papillary thyroid cancer: Frequency and time course of the six most common tumor volume kinetic patterns Journal Article


Authors: Tuttle, R. M.; Fagin, J.; Minkowitz, G.; Wong, R.; Roman, B.; Patel, S.; Untch, B.; Ganly, I.; Shaha, A.; Shah, J.; Li, D.; Bach, A.; Girshman, J.; Lin, O.; Cohen, M.; Cohen, J. M.; Cracchiolo, J.; Ghossein, R.; Sabra, M.; Boucai, L.; Fish, S.; Morris, L.
Article Title: Active surveillance of papillary thyroid cancer: Frequency and time course of the six most common tumor volume kinetic patterns
Abstract: Background: The change in size of the papillary thyroid cancer (PTC) nodule during active surveillance has traditionally been characterized as either stable, increasing, or decreasing based on changes in maximal tumor diameter or tumor volume. More recently, it has been observed that the changes in tumor size observed during observation are more complex with tumor volume kinetic patterns that can be characterized either as stable (Pattern I), early increase in volume (Pattern II), later increase in volume (Pattern III), early increase in volume followed by stability (Pattern IV), stability followed by an increase in volume (Pattern V), or a decrease in tumor volume (Pattern VI). Methods: The frequency, time course, and clinical correlates of these six tumor volume kinetic patterns were analyzed in a cohort of 483 patients with low-risk PTC up to 1.5 cm in maximal diameter followed with active surveillance at our center for a median of 3.7 years. Results: The cumulative incidence of an increase in tumor volume for the entire cohort was 15.9% [confidence interval (CI) 11.8-20.0] at 5 years. At 5 years, most tumors demonstrated stability (78.8%, Pattern I) with 10.0% showing early growth (Pattern II), 4.1% late growth (Pattern III), 1.9% growth then stability (Pattern IV), 0.6% stability then growth (Pattern V), and 5.6% with a decrease in tumor volume (Pattern VI). Tumor volume doubling time during exponential growth significantly differed across the kinetic patterns, with median values of 2.4, 7.1, and 3.3 years for Patterns II, III, and IV, respectively (p < 0.01). Similarly, the time to a change in tumor volume was significantly different across the kinetic patterns, with median values of 1.5, 3, 1.6, 4.7, and 4.1 years for Patterns II, III, IV, V, and VI, respectively (analysis of variance, p < 0.01). Clinical correlates at baseline were not associated with tumor volume kinetic pattern. Conclusions: These six kinetic tumor volume patterns provide a comprehensive description of the changes in PTC tumor volume observed during the first 5 years of active surveillance.
Keywords: retrospective studies; tumor volume; carcinoma, papillary; pathology; diagnostic imaging; retrospective study; tumor burden; active surveillance; watchful waiting; thyroid neoplasms; papillary carcinoma; thyroid tumor; tumor progression; papillary thyroid cancer; humans; human; thyroid cancer, papillary; tumor kinetic volume
Journal Title: Thyroid
Volume: 32
Issue: 11
ISSN: 1050-7256
Publisher: Mary Ann Liebert, Inc  
Date Published: 2022-11-01
Start Page: 1337
End Page: 1345
Language: English
DOI: 10.1089/thy.2022.0325
PUBMED: 36178355
PROVIDER: scopus
PMCID: PMC9700377
DOI/URL:
Notes: Article -- Export Date: 1 December 2022 -- Source: Scopus
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MSK Authors
  1. James A Fagin
    181 Fagin
  2. Ronald A Ghossein
    486 Ghossein
  3. Ashok R Shaha
    699 Shaha
  4. Ariadne Bach
    59 Bach
  5. Snehal G Patel
    414 Patel
  6. Robert M Tuttle
    483 Tuttle
  7. Oscar Lin
    310 Lin
  8. Duan Li
    20 Li
  9. Richard J Wong
    419 Wong
  10. Luc Morris
    281 Morris
  11. Ian Ganly
    432 Ganly
  12. Mona M Sabra
    43 Sabra
  13. Stephanie Anne Fish
    25 Fish
  14. Jatin P Shah
    724 Shah
  15. Brian Untch
    65 Untch
  16. Benjamin Raphael Roman
    75 Roman
  17. Laura   Boucai
    48 Boucai
  18. Marc A Cohen
    139 Cohen