Initial therapy with either thyroid lobectomy or total thyroidectomy without radioactive iodine remnant ablation is associated with very low rates of structural disease recurrence in properly selected patients with differentiated thyroid cancer Journal Article


Authors: Vaisman, F.; Shaha, A.; Fish, S.; Tuttle, R. M.
Article Title: Initial therapy with either thyroid lobectomy or total thyroidectomy without radioactive iodine remnant ablation is associated with very low rates of structural disease recurrence in properly selected patients with differentiated thyroid cancer
Abstract: Objective To describe the risk of structural disease recurrence in a cohort of patients with differentiated thyroid cancer selected for treatment with either thyroid lobectomy or total thyroidectomy without radioactive iodine remnant ablation (RRA). Design Retrospective review. Patients A total of 289 patients were selected for either thyroid lobectomy (n = 72) or total thyroidectomy (n = 217) without RRA and followed with modern disease detection tools in a tertiary referral centre. Most patients had papillary thyroid cancer (89%) without clinically evident lymph node metastases (91%). However, 55% (156/289) of patients had primary tumours that were >1 cm and 10% (28/289) had minor extrathyroidal extension. Measurements The primary endpoint was detection of recurrent/persistent structural disease. Results After a 5-year median follow-up, structural disease recurrence was detected in 2·3% (5/217) of patients treated with total thyroidectomy without RRA, and in 4·2% (3/72) of patients treated with thyroid lobectomy. Size of the primary tumour, the presence of cervical lymph node metastases and American Thyroid Association risk category were all statistically significant predictors of recurrence. Changes in serum thyroglobulin were not helpful in identifying the presence of persistent/recurrent structural disease. Importantly, 88% (7/8) of the patients that had recurrent disease were rendered clinically disease free with additional therapies. Conclusions Initial risk stratification is able to identify a cohort of patients with differentiated thyroid cancer with a very low risk of structural disease recurrence following treatment with either thyroid lobectomy or total thyroidectomy without RRA. Our data strongly support a selective approach to the initial management of thyroid cancer. © 2011 Blackwell Publishing Ltd.
Keywords: adult; controlled study; aged; cancer surgery; primary tumor; major clinical study; cancer recurrence; follow up; lymph node metastasis; retrospective study; prediction; risk assessment; thyroidectomy; levothyroxine; thyroglobulin; aspiration biopsy; thyroglobulin blood level; thyroid papillary carcinoma; hormone substitution; cervical lymphadenopathy; thyroid follicular carcinoma; differentiated thyroid cancer; subtotal thyroidectomy
Journal Title: Clinical Endocrinology
Volume: 75
Issue: 1
ISSN: 0300-0664
Publisher: Wiley Blackwell  
Date Published: 2011-07-01
Start Page: 112
End Page: 119
Language: English
DOI: 10.1111/j.1365-2265.2011.04002.x
PROVIDER: scopus
PUBMED: 21521273
DOI/URL:
Notes: --- - "Export Date: 17 August 2011" - "CODEN: CLENA" - "Source: Scopus"
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MSK Authors
  1. Ashok R Shaha
    697 Shaha
  2. Robert M Tuttle
    481 Tuttle
  3. Stephanie Anne Fish
    25 Fish