Age correlates with increased frequency of high risk factors in elderly patients with thyroid cancer.
BACKGROUND
Age and certain pathologic features (ie, follicular histology, vascular invasion, and extracapsular extension) are reported to impact on prognosis in thyroid cancer, but the relationship between these two factors remains incompletely defined.


METHODS
Clinical, pathologic, therapeutic, prognostic, and outcome data were retrospectively collected and compared among three groups of patients with thyroid cancer: group 1 (age 21 to 50), group 2 (age 51 to 70), and group 3 (age greater than 70).


RESULTS
There was a statistically significant age-related decrement in survival: 10-year survival was 92% in group 1, 77% in group 2, and 48% in group 3. Follicular histology, vascular invasion, and extracapsular extension were more frequently observed in group 3 versus group 2 and in group 2 versus group 1 (all differences statistically significant except for vascular invasion). Although survival was significantly less for group 3 versus group 2 versus group 1, only vascular invasion and extracapsular extension independently predicted outcome by multivariate analysis.


CONCLUSIONS
The prognostic importance of age in thyroid cancer may be due to the greater prevalence of pathologic risk factors in older patients.
D018263:Adenocarcinoma, Follicular / Q000473:pathology / Q000556:secondary / Q000601:surgery; D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001808:Blood Vessels / Q000473:pathology; D002277:Carcinoma / Q000473:pathology* / Q000556:secondary / Q000601:surgery*; D002291:Carcinoma, Papillary / Q000473:pathology / Q000556:secondary / Q000601:surgery; D018265:Carcinoma, Papillary, Follicular / Q000473:pathology / Q000556:secondary / Q000601:surgery; D002648:Child; D003131:Combined Modality Therapy; D005260:Female; D005544:Forecasting; D006801:Humans; D008207:Lymphatic Metastasis; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015999:Multivariate Analysis; D009361:Neoplasm Invasiveness; D011379:Prognosis; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012307:Risk Factors; D015996:Survival Rate; D013964:Thyroid Neoplasms / Q000473:pathology* / Q000601:surgery*; D013965:Thyroidectomy; D016896:Treatment Outcome