title: Prognostic Value of the Number of Retrieved Lymph Nodes in Pathological Nx or N0 Classical Papillary Thyroid Carcinoma.
abstract: This study evaluated the clinical implications of the number of retrieved central lymph nodes (LN) for the recurrence and recurrence-free survival (RFS) outcomes in patients with pathological Nx (pNx) or N0 classical papillary thyroid carcinoma (PTC).
  
  
  
  In total, 464 patients were enrolled following total thyroidectomy with central LN dissection. The risk factors related to recurrence and RFS were evaluated and compared between these groups.
  
  
  
  Age, primary tumor size, and number of retrieved central LNs were independent risk factors for recurrence according to multivariate analysis (p < 0.05). The cut-off value for the number of retrieved central LNs related to recurrence was 4.5. Group 2 (pN0; ≥5 nodes) demonstrated a significantly higher proportion of patients with an ablation-stimulated thyroglobulin (sTg) level <2.0 ng/mL (84.9 vs 61.1 %; p < 0.050) and control sTg level <1.0 ng/mL (92.1 vs 79.6 %; p < 0.050) in comparison with patients in group 1 (pNx or pN0; 1-4 nodes). Perioperative complication rates were comparable between groups.
  
  
  
  The number of retrieved central LNs is an independent risk factor for recurrence, even among patients with pNx or pN0 classical PTC. A thorough central LN dissection may therefore improve the long-term RFS rate.
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgery, Asan Medical Center, University of Ulsan College of Medicine, 88, Olympic-ro 43-gil, Songpa-Gu, Seoul, 05505, Korea.
authors.forename: Tae-Yon
authors.initials: TY
authors.lastname: Sung
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgery, Asan Medical Center, University of Ulsan College of Medicine, 88, Olympic-ro 43-gil, Songpa-Gu, Seoul, 05505, Korea. gsyoon@amc.seoul.kr.
authors.forename: Jong Ho
authors.initials: JH
authors.lastname: Yoon
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathology, Asan Medical Center, University of Ulsan College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea.
authors.forename: Dong Eun
authors.initials: DE
authors.lastname: Song
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgery, Asan Medical Center, University of Ulsan College of Medicine, 88, Olympic-ro 43-gil, Songpa-Gu, Seoul, 05505, Korea.
authors.forename: Yu-Mi
authors.initials: YM
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.affiliation: Department of Internal Medicine, Asan Medical Center, University of Ulsan College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea.
authors.forename: Tae-Yong
authors.initials: TY
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgery, Asan Medical Center, University of Ulsan College of Medicine, 88, Olympic-ro 43-gil, Songpa-Gu, Seoul, 05505, Korea.
authors.forename: Ki-Wook
authors.initials: KW
authors.lastname: Chung
authors.affiliation: Department of Internal Medicine, Asan Medical Center, University of Ulsan College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea.
authors.forename: Won Bae
authors.initials: WB
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.affiliation: Department of Internal Medicine, Asan Medical Center, University of Ulsan College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea.
authors.forename: Young Kee
authors.initials: YK
authors.lastname: Shong
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgery, Asan Medical Center, University of Ulsan College of Medicine, 88, Olympic-ro 43-gil, Songpa-Gu, Seoul, 05505, Korea.
authors.forename: Suck Joon
authors.initials: SJ
authors.lastname: Hong
mesh_terms: D055011:Ablation Techniques; D002291:Carcinoma, Papillary / Q000473:pathology* / Q000601:surgery*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007457:Iodine Radioisotopes / Q000627:therapeutic use; D008197:Lymph Node Excision; D008207:Lymphatic Metastasis; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009364:Neoplasm Recurrence, Local; D011379:Prognosis; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D013954:Thyroglobulin / Q000097:blood; D000077273:Thyroid Cancer, Papillary; D013964:Thyroid Neoplasms / Q000473:pathology* / Q000601:surgery*; D013965:Thyroidectomy
chemical_list: D007457:Iodine Radioisotopes; D013954:Thyroglobulin