An evaluation of prognostic scoring systems in patients with follicular thyroid cancer.
BACKGROUND
Prognostic scoring systems for thyroid cancer have not been investigated in patients with pure follicular cancer; thus, the purpose of this study was to compare the following prognostic indices: the European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer (EORTC) method; the Age, Grade, Extent, Size (AGES) score; and the Age, Metastasis, Extent, Size (ALIES) score.


METHODS
A retrospective study reviewing 122 patients actively treated between 1955 and 1990 was conducted. Scoring systems were calculated and survival analysis completed. AGES low-risk patients were analyzed with respect to known risk factors.


RESULTS
The AGES scoring system significantly defined low- and high-risk groups (P = 0.0041); the ratio of deaths between high-versus low-risk groups was 1.9:1. EORTC scores distinguished four risk groups (P = 0.002). The AMES scoring system did not significantly assign risk. In multivariate analysis of low-risk AGES patients, age, perithyroidal tissue involvement, and positive frozen section reached statistical significance.


CONCLUSIONS
The AGES and EORTC scoring systems best defined low- and high-risk groups of patients with pure follicular cancer, although the separation between groups was low.
D018263:Adenocarcinoma, Follicular / Q000473:pathology / Q000556:secondary / Q000601:surgery*; D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D003131:Combined Modality Therapy; D005069:Evaluation Studies as Topic; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D005629:Frozen Sections; D006801:Humans; D007457:Iodine Radioisotopes / Q000627:therapeutic use; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015999:Multivariate Analysis; D009361:Neoplasm Invasiveness; D009367:Neoplasm Staging; D011379:Prognosis; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012307:Risk Factors; D016019:Survival Analysis; D013964:Thyroid Neoplasms / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery*; D013965:Thyroidectomy / Q000379:methods; D016896:Treatment Outcome
D007457:Iodine Radioisotopes