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Postoperative ultrasonography surveillance in patients with follicular thyroid carcinoma: a multicenter study

  • HEAD, NECK AND DENTAL RADIOLOGY
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Abstract

Objective

This study aimed to evaluate the locoregional recurrence rate of follicular thyroid carcinoma (FTC) and to assess the appropriate frequency of postoperative ultrasonography (US) surveillance for detecting tumor recurrence.

Methods

The review boards of the seven participating institutions approved this study. From 2000 to 2011, 186 patients underwent at postoperative US at least once; US was performed by experienced radiologists at each institution. Based on the US and histopathological results, locoregional tumor recurrence was assessed.

Results

The T stages of the 186 patients were T1a (8.1%), T1b (21.5%), T2 (39.8%), T3 (30.6%), T4a (0%), and T4b (0%). The N stages were unknown (24.2%), N0 (71.5%), N1a (3.2%), and N1b (1.1%), and the M stages unknown (29.6%), M0 (66.1%), and M1 (4.3%). Tumors recurred in only 6 (3.2%) patients during the follow-up period over 5 years. Among them, no patients showed the initial suspicion of recurrences on routine follow-up US. The session number and interval of postoperative US differed significantly between patients with recurrence and those without recurrence. The mean interval of postoperative follow-up US at the first detection time of tumor recurrence was 37.5 ± 18.5 months (range 9–62 months). Significantly more FTCs were at an advanced N and M stage in the recurrence group than in the non-recurrence group (p < 0.05).

Conclusions

Routine postoperative US surveillance may be unnecessary for detecting tumor recurrence after thyroid surgery in FTC patients.

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Author contributions

1. Concept and design: DWK. 2. Acquisition of data: SL, IR, CYL, YJC, JYS, DWK. 3. Literature review: HJB, DWK. 4. Analysis and interpretation of data: HJB, DWK. 5. Manuscript writing: HJB, DWK. 6. Refinement of manuscript: All authors. 7. Review of final manuscript: All authors. 8. Final approval: All authors. Postoperative ultrasonography surveillance in patients with follicular thyroid carcinoma: a multicenter study.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Radiology, Gyeongsang National University School of Medicine and Gyeongsang National University Changwon Hospital, Changwon, 51476, South Korea

    Hye Jin Baek

  2. Department of Radiology, Busan Paik Hospital, Inje University College of Medicine, 75, Bokji-ro, Busanjin-gu, Busan, 47392, South Korea

    Dong Wook Kim

  3. Department of Radiology, Seoul St. Mary’s Hospital, College of Medicine, The Catholic University of Korea, Seoul, 06591, South Korea

    Song Lee

  4. Department of Radiology, Korea University Guro Hospital, Korea University College of Medicine, Seoul, 08308, South Korea

    Inseon Ryoo

  5. Department of Radiology, Research Institute and Hospital, National Cancer Center, Gyeonggi, 10408, South Korea

    Chang Yoon Lee

  6. Department of Radiology, Kangbuk Samsung Hospital, Sungkyunkwan University School of Medicine, Seoul, 03181, South Korea

    Yoon Jung Choi

  7. Department of Radiology, Thyroid Center, Daerim St. Mary’s Hospital, Seoul, 07442, South Korea

    Jin Yong Sung

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  1. Hye Jin Baek
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Dong Wook Kim.

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Conflict of interest

All authors declare that there are no competing interests.

Ethical approval

All procedures performed in studies involving human participants were in accordance with the ethical standards of the institutional and/or national research committee and with the 1964 Helsinki declaration and its later amendments or comparable ethical standards.

Informed consent

The need for informed consent was waived owing to the retrospective nature of the study.

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None.

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Baek, H.J., Kim, D.W., Lee, S. et al. Postoperative ultrasonography surveillance in patients with follicular thyroid carcinoma: a multicenter study. Radiol med 122, 530–537 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11547-017-0753-7

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11547-017-0753-7

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