title: Changes in clinical presentation, management and outcome in 1348 patients with differentiated thyroid carcinoma: experience in a single institute in Hong Kong, 1960-2000.
abstract: The clinical features, management and outcome of 1348 patients diagnosed with differentiated thyroid carcinoma in Queen Elizabeth Hospital, Hong Kong, were analysed according to the period of diagnosis: A (before 1980), B (1981-1990) and C (1991-2000). As time advanced, ratio of papillary carcinoma (PTC) to follicular carcinoma (FTC) increased (A:B:C = 1.6: 3.1: 7.2). The mean size of the primary tumour decreased (A:B:C = 3.5 cm: 2.8 cm: 2.5 cm), with a greater percentage of microcarcinoma of 1 cm or less (A:B:C = 5.1%: 16.1%: 21.7%). At presentation, the incidence of lymph-node metastasis decreased (A:B:C = 32.7%: 31.6%: 24.8%) and that of distant metastasis decreased (A:B:C = 9%: 6.1%: 5.3%). Bilateral surgical resection was more commonly used (A:B:C = 62.8%: 89.1%: 94.8%) than lobectomy (A:B:C = 26.3%: 2.8%: 1.8%). Radiation treatment, radioactive iodine (131I; RAI) and external radiotherapy (EXT), was more commonly used (A:B:C = 53.2%: 74.7%: 85.1%). RAI was used in 84.3% (A:B:C = 50%: 71.2%: 84.3%) and EXT in 14.5% of patients in the past decade (A:B:C = 10.9%: 8.7%: 14.5%). The proportion of patients who adopted a bilateral surgery and RAI treatment increased gradually with time (A:B:C = 33%: 68%: 83.8%). The 5-year cause-specific survival (A:B:C = 90.2%: 93.7%: 95.7%), locoregional failure-free survival (A:B:C = 72.6%: 82.9%: 91.6%) and distant metastasis failure-free survival (A:B:C = 84.5%: 89.1%: 92.6%) were improved. However, the period of diagnosis was not found to be an important explanatory variable (i.e. P > 0.05) in Cox regression after adjusting for other factors, indicating that the improvement was probably related to the temporal trend of other factors: presentation at earlier stage, increased ratio of PTC:FTC and more aggressive management by bilateral surgery and radiation therapy.
authors.affiliation: Department of Clinical Oncology, Queen Elizabeth Hospital, Kowloon, Hong Kong, People's Republic of China. chowsm@ha.org.hk
authors.forename: S M
authors.initials: SM
authors.lastname: Chow
authors.forename: S C K
authors.initials: SC
authors.lastname: Law
authors.forename: S K
authors.initials: SK
authors.lastname: Au
authors.forename: O
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Mang
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Yau
authors.forename: K T
authors.initials: KT
authors.lastname: Yuen
authors.forename: W H
authors.initials: WH
authors.lastname: Lau
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D017677:Age Distribution; D018265:Carcinoma, Papillary, Follicular / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000556:secondary / Q000628:therapy*; D018572:Disease-Free Survival; D005260:Female; D006723:Hong Kong / Q000453:epidemiology; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D008197:Lymph Node Excision / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D008207:Lymphatic Metastasis; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009364:Neoplasm Recurrence, Local / Q000453:epidemiology; D009367:Neoplasm Staging; D011446:Prospective Studies; D017678:Sex Distribution; D013964:Thyroid Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000628:therapy*; D013965:Thyroidectomy / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D016896:Treatment Outcome