The Role of Radiotherapy for Patients With Thyroid Cancer in the Modern Era.

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND/AIM: Thyroid cancer (TC) is a relatively rare malignancy. The mainstay treatment is surgery followed by radioactive iodine (RAI) and medical systemic treatments. The role of external beam radiotherapy (EBRT) in TC is controversial regarding the survival benefits. The aim of this study was to analyse the effectiveness of EBRT for different forms of TC in different stages. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Between January 1990 and 2016, 75 patients underwent 255 radiotherapy (RT) courses at our Institution. Local control (LC) and progression-free survival (PFS) were analyzed. RESULTS: The cohort consisted of 22 patients who received curative RT and 53 patients who received RT in a palliative setting. The estimated 5-year LC for the curative group was 92±8% and the palliative group 78±7%. The estimated 5-year PFS for the curative group was 27±9% and for palliative group 31±6%. CONCLUSION: The addition of RT in TC seems to be safe and effective. Our analysis showed an excellent local control (median >15 years) regardless of the treatment setting.