Improvement of lymph node recurrence rate, but not distant recurrence and carcinoma death rates, in patients with papillary thyroid carcinoma after disease-free survival for 5 years.
In this study, we investigated the difference in lymph node-recurrence free survival (LN-RFS), distant recurrence-free survival (DRFS), and cause-specific survival (CSS) between patients with papillary thyroid carcinoma (PTC) in the entire group (Group I) and those with lymph node- and distant-recurrence-free survival (DFS) for 5 years after initial surgery (Group II).  The LN-RFS of patients with all risk classifications in Group II was significantly better than that of those in Group I.  The LN-RFS of intermediate-risk patients in Group II did not differ from that of low-risk patients in Group I, but LN-RFS of high-risk patients in Group II was significantly poorer than intermediate- and low-risk patients in Group I.  DRFS and CSS of Group II patients did not significantly differ from those of Group I patients in the same risk classification.  DRFS and CSS of high-risk patients in Group II were significantly poorer than those of intermediate- and low-risk patients in Group I, and those of intermediate-risk patients in Group II were also significantly poorer than those of low-risk patients in Group I.  Taken together, the lymph node recurrence rate, but not distant recurrence and carcinoma death rates, of patients in all classifications significantly improved after DFS for 5 years.  However, careful follow-up for lymph node recurrence of high-risk patients and for distant recurrence of intermediate- and high-risk patients is necessary thereafter.
Department of Surgery, Kuma Hospital, Kobe 650-0011 Japan. ito01@kuma-h.or.jp
Yasuhiro
Y
Ito
Takumi
T
Kudo
Minoru
M
Kihara
Yuuki
Y
Takamura
Kaoru
K
Kobayashi
Akihiro
A
Miya
Akira
A
Miyauchi
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D002277:Carcinoma / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000401:mortality / Q000473:pathology* / Q000601:surgery; D002291:Carcinoma, Papillary; D002648:Child; D018572:Disease-Free Survival; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007564:Japan / Q000453:epidemiology; D053208:Kaplan-Meier Estimate; D008198:Lymph Nodes / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery; D008207:Lymphatic Metastasis / Q000473:pathology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009364:Neoplasm Recurrence, Local / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000473:pathology*; D011379:Prognosis; D012307:Risk Factors; D000077273:Thyroid Cancer, Papillary; D013964:Thyroid Neoplasms / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000401:mortality / Q000473:pathology* / Q000601:surgery; D013965:Thyroidectomy; D014463:Ultrasonography