Controversies in the Management of Low-Risk Differentiated Thyroid Cancer

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Abstract

<p class="first" id="d6523032e155">Controversy exists over optimal management of low-risk differentiated thyroid cancer. This controversy occurs in all aspects of management, including surgery, use of radioactive iodine for remnant ablation, thyroid hormone supplementation, and long-term surveillance. Limited and conflicting data, treatment paradigm shifts, and differences in physician perceptions contribute to the controversy. This lack of physician consensus results in wide variation in patient care, with some patients at risk for over- or undertreatment. To reduce patient harm and unnecessary worry, there is a need to design and implement studies to address current knowledge gaps. </p><p class="first" id="d6523032e158">In this review, we evaluated the current management of low-risk differentiated thyroid cancer and identified areas of controversy. </p>

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Most cited references 166

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Korea's thyroid-cancer "epidemic"--screening and overdiagnosis.

Hyeong Ahn, Hyun Jung Kim, H. Welch (2014)

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Association between BRAF V600E mutation and mortality in patients with papillary thyroid cancer.

Mingzhao Xing, Ali Alzahrani, Kathryn Carson … (2013)

BRAF V600E is a prominent oncogene in papillary thyroid cancer (PTC), but its role in PTC-related patient mortality has not been established. To investigate the relationship between BRAF V600E mutation and PTC-related mortality. Retrospective study of 1849 patients (1411 women and 438 men) with a median age of 46 years (interquartile range, 34-58 years) and an overall median follow-up time of 33 months (interquartile range, 13-67 months) after initial treatment at 13 centers in 7 countries between 1978 and 2011. Patient deaths specifically caused by PTC. Overall, mortality was 5.3% (45/845; 95% CI, 3.9%-7.1%) vs 1.1% (11/1004; 95% CI, 0.5%-2.0%) (P < .001) in BRAF V600E-positive vs mutation-negative patients. Deaths per 1000 person-years in the analysis of all PTC were 12.87 (95% CI, 9.61-17.24) vs 2.52 (95% CI, 1.40-4.55) in BRAF V600E-positive vs mutation-negative patients; the hazard ratio (HR) was 2.66 (95% CI, 1.30-5.43) after adjustment for age at diagnosis, sex, and medical center. Deaths per 1000 person-years in the analysis of the conventional variant of PTC were 11.80 (95% CI, 8.39-16.60) vs 2.25 (95% CI, 1.01-5.00) in BRAF V600E-positive vs mutation-negative patients; the adjusted HR was 3.53 (95% CI, 1.25-9.98). When lymph node metastasis, extrathyroidal invasion, and distant metastasis were also included in the model, the association of BRAF V600E with mortality for all PTC was no longer significant (HR, 1.21; 95% CI, 0.53-2.76). A higher BRAF V600E-associated patient mortality was also observed in several clinicopathological subcategories, but statistical significance was lost with adjustment for patient age, sex, and medical center. For example, in patients with lymph node metastasis, the deaths per 1000 person-years were 26.26 (95% CI, 19.18-35.94) vs 5.93 (95% CI, 2.96-11.86) in BRAF V600E-positive vs mutation-negative patients (unadjusted HR, 4.43 [95% CI, 2.06-9.51]; adjusted HR, 1.46 [95% CI, 0.62-3.47]). In patients with distant tumor metastasis, deaths per 1000 person-years were 87.72 (95% CI, 62.68-122.77) vs 32.28 (95% CI, 16.14-64.55) in BRAF V600E-positive vs mutation-negative patients (unadjusted HR, 2.63 [95% CI, 1.21-5.72]; adjusted HR, 0.84 [95% CI, 0.27-2.62]). In this retrospective multicenter study, the presence of the BRAF V600E mutation was significantly associated with increased cancer-related mortality among patients with PTC. Because overall mortality in PTC is low and the association was not independent of tumor features, how to use BRAF V600E to manage mortality risk in patients with PTC is unclear. These findings support further investigation of the prognostic and therapeutic implications of BRAF V600E status in PTC.

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Increasing incidence of differentiated thyroid cancer in the United States, 1988-2005.

Amy Chen, Ahmedin Jemal, Elizabeth Ward (2009)

Studies have reported an increasing incidence of thyroid cancer since 1980. One possible explanation for this trend is increased detection through more widespread and aggressive use of ultrasound and image-guided biopsy. Increases resulting from increased detection are most likely to involve small primary tumors rather than larger tumors, which often present as palpable thyroid masses. The objective of the current study was to investigate the trends in increasing incidence of differentiated (papillary and follicular) thyroid cancer by size, age, race, and sex. Cases of differentiated thyroid cancer (1988-2005) were analyzed using the National Cancer Institute's Surveillance Epidemiology and End Results (SEER) dataset. Trends in incidence rates of papillary and follicular cancer, race, age, sex, primary tumor size ( 4 cm), and SEER stage (localized, regional, distant) were analyzed using joinpoint regression and reported as the annual percentage change (APC). Incidence rates increased for all sizes of tumors. Among men and women of all ages, the highest rate of increase was for primary tumors or =4 cm among men (1988-2005: APC, 3.7) and women (1988-2005: APC, 5.70) and for distant SEER stage disease among men (APC, 3.7) and women (APC, 2.3). The incidence rates of differentiated thyroid cancers of all sizes increased between 1988 and 2005 in both men and women. The increased incidence across all tumor sizes suggested that increased diagnostic scrutiny is not the sole explanation. Other explanations, including environmental influences and molecular pathways, should be investigated.

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Author and article information

Journal

Title: Endocrine Reviews

Publisher: The Endocrine Society

ISSN (Print): 0163-769X

ISSN (Electronic): 1945-7189

Publication date Created: August 01 2017

Publication date Created: June 19 2017

Publication date Other: August 01 2017

Publication date (Print): August 01 2017

Publication date (Electronic): June 19 2017

Volume: 38

Issue: 4

Pages: 351-378

Affiliations

[1 ]Division of Metabolism, Endocrinology, and Diabetes, Department of Internal Medicine, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan 48109

[2 ]Division of Endocrine Surgery, Department of Surgery, Duke University, Durham, North Carolina 27710

Article

DOI: 10.1210/er.2017-00067

PMC ID: 5546880

PubMed ID: 28633444

SO-VID: e844cb27-e598-44a8-a981-12e055665aae

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Controversies in the Management of Low-Risk Differentiated Thyroid Cancer

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Most cited references 166

Korea's thyroid-cancer "epidemic"--screening and overdiagnosis.

Association between BRAF V600E mutation and mortality in patients with papillary thyroid cancer.

Increasing incidence of differentiated thyroid cancer in the United States, 1988-2005.

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