title: Prognostic factors of survival and recurrence pattern in differentiated thyroid cancer: a retrospective study from Western Turkey.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The aim of this study was to determine prognostic factors in patients with well-differentiated thyroid cancer (WDTC).
  
  
  METHODS
  This retrospective study included 181 well-differentiated thyroid cancer patients who were operated between Decembers 1996-2007. Total of 181 patients [139 (76.8%) women and 42 (23.2%) men with a mean age of 46.3 years] who were subjected to a complete follow-up, were enrolled in the study. The mean follow-up period was 7.1 years (range 3.1 to 14.9 years). Medical records were reviewed regarding to age, gender, extent of surgery, tumor size, multifocality, clinical stage, capsule infiltration, extracapsular invasion, histological type, lymph node metastasis, distant metastasis, radioactive iodine treatment and prognosis.
  
  
  RESULTS
  During follow-up, in 41 (22.6%) patients locoregional recurrences were detected and 5 (2.7%) patients passed away. Determined statistically significant prognostic factors were as follows; tumor size (histopathologically), extent of surgery, histological type, lymph node metastasis, tumor invasion (capsule and extracapsular) and clinical stage.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Well-differentiated thyroid cancer is a disease with good prognosis when detected early and appropriate treatment applied. Despite the prognosis, it is good to apply the right treatment and reduce recurrence and mortality rates, prognostic factors are well known and must be considered in patient management.
authors.forename: V
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Erol
authors.forename: O
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Makay
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Icoz
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Kose
authors.forename: U
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: Yararbas
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Kumanlioglu
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Akyildiz
mesh_terms: D000230:Adenocarcinoma / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000401:mortality* / Q000601:surgery; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011379:Prognosis; D012008:Recurrence; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D016019:Survival Analysis; D013964:Thyroid Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000401:mortality* / Q000601:surgery; D014421:Turkey / Q000453:epidemiology