Incomplete ablation of thyroid cancer: Achilles' Heel?

BACKGROUND: In recent years, the incidence of thyroid nodules has increased significantly. There are various ways to treat thyroid nodules, and ablation therapy is one of the important ways to treat thyroid nodules. However, there are many complications and deficiencies in the current ablation treatment of thyroid nodules, especially the incomplete ablation of thyroid cancer nodules, which limits the further application of ablation technology. In this paper, we report two cases of incomplete ablation of thyroid nodules, one of which underwent surgical treatment due to anxiety after ablation, and the postoperative pathology confirmed that there was still residual papillary thyroid carcinoma, and the other patient underwent an operation after ablation, but visited our medical institution again due to cervical lymph node metastasis in a short period of time, and after radical cervical lymph node dissection, pathology confirmed multiple cervical lymph node metastasis. Radionuclide therapy was performed after surgery, and two patients are currently receiving endocrine suppression therapy, and their condition is stable with no signs of recurrence. CONCLUSION: The incomplete ablation of thyroid cancer nodules limits the development of ablation therapy, making ablation treatment a double-edged sword. Guidelines and expert consensus can guide their development, but they need to evolve with the times, and a multidisciplinary diagnostic team can help screen the most suitable patients. Only by using this technology more standardly, using the most appropriate technology, and treating the most suitable patients, can benefit more and more patients.

Predictors of lateral lymph node metastasis and skip metastasis in patients with papillary thyroid microcarcinoma.

Background: Papillary thyroid microcarcinoma (PTMC) is characterized by its favorable prognosis and potential for active surveillance (AS) as a management option. However, the presence of cervical lymph node (LN) metastasis, especially lateral LN metastasis, significantly impacts management and prognosis. Previous studies have focused on post-surgery risk factors for cervical LN metastasis. This study aims to identify predictors of lateral LN metastasis by analyzing pre-operative ultrasonographic findings alongside clinicopathological factors. Methods: A retrospective review of medical records was conducted for patients with PTMC who underwent surgery at Chonnam National University Hwasun Hospital between 2004 and 2013. This is a case-control study that compares patients with lateral LN metastasis (N1b) to age- and sex-matched patients without LN metastasis (N0). Subgroup analysis was performed to evaluate risk factors of skip metastasis. Results: The study included 90 patients with PTMC with lateral LN metastasis (N1b) and 268 age- and sex-matched patients without LN metastasis (N0). The mean age was 49.3 years, and female patients were dominant in both groups. Structural recurrences of 4.4% (4/90) were observed only in the N1b group. The N1b group exhibited a higher frequency of upper lobe tumor location compared to the N0 group (38.9% vs. 16.0%, p < 0.001). There was no significant difference in the locations with the presence of invasion to adjacent organs. A higher proportion of non-parallel shape was observed in the N1b group than the N0 group (80.0% vs. 66.0%, p = 0.013). There were no differences in echogenicity, sonographic feature, margin, and AP diameter of the thyroid gland between the two groups. In multivariate analysis, independent risk factors for lateral LN metastasis included extrathyroidal extension, multiplicity, upper lobe tumor location, and non-parallel shape. Skip metastasis in patients with PTMC was associated with upper lobe tumor location. Conclusion: Detailed ultrasound examinations, evaluating tumor location, number, orientation, and the presence of ETE, are crucial in accurately predicting lateral LN metastasis especially when primary tumor was in the upper lobe to avoid missing skip metastasis. These evaluations can help guide the decision between AS and immediate surgery in patients with PTMC.

Predicting papillary thyroid microcarcinoma in American College of Radiology Thyroid Imaging Reporting and Data System (ACR TI-RADS) 3 nodules: radiomics analysis based on intratumoral and peritumoral ultrasound images.

Background: A subset of patients undergoing thyroid surgery for presumed benign thyroid disease presented with papillary thyroid microcarcinoma (PTMC). A non-invasive and precise method for early recognition of PTMC are urgently needed. The aim of this study was to construct and validate a nomogram that combines intratumoral and peritumoral radiomics features as well as clinical features for predicting PTMC in the American College of Radiology Thyroid Imaging Reporting and Data System (ACR TI-RADS) 3 nodules using ultrasonography. Methods: A retrospective review was conducted on a cohort of 221 patients who presented with ACR TI-RADS 3 nodules. These patients were subsequently pathologically diagnosed with either PTMC or benign thyroid nodules. These patients were randomly divided into a training and test cohort with an 8:2 ratio for developing the clinical model, intratumor-region model, peritumor-region model and the combined-region model respectively. The radiomics features were extracted from ultrasound (US) images of each patient. We employed K-nearest neighbor (KNN) model as the base model for building the radiomics signature and clinical signature. Finally, a radiomics-clinical nomogram that combined intratumoral and peritumoral radiomics features as well as clinical features was developed. The prediction performance of each model was assessed by the area under the curve (AUC), sensitivity, specificity and calibration curve. Results: A total of 23 radiomics features were selected to develop radiomics models. The combined-region radiomics model showed favorable prediction efficiency in both the training dataset (AUC: 0.955) and the test dataset (AUC: 0.923). A radiomics-clinical nomogram was constructed and achieved excellent calibration and discrimination, which yielded an AUC value of 0.950, a sensitivity of 0.950 and a specificity of 0.920. Conclusions: This study proposed the nomogram that contributes to the accurate and intuitive identification of PTMC in ACR TI-RADS 3 nodules.

Survey of clinician perspective on management of papillary thyroid microcarcinoma in Australia and New Zealand.

Background: The incidence of thyroid cancer has been rapidly increasing in recent years largely due to improved diagnostic methods. There is evidence to suggest that in papillary thyroid microcarcinoma (PTMC), active surveillance (AS) is comparable in effectiveness compared to immediate surgery (IM). We conducted a survey of Clinicians and Surgeons from Australia and New Zealand to assess the role of AS in the management of PTMC. Methods: A short electronic survey was created on the platform Survey Monkey, separate links containing the survey were sent to various medical societies to be distributed to its members. The list of medical societies included: General Surgeons Australia, Endocrine Society of Australia, Australian and New Zealand Endocrine Surgeons, Australian and New Zealand Head and Neck Cancer Society and New Zealand Association of General Surgery. Results: We received 110 complete responses, which demonstrated that 63% of clinicians will discuss AS with patients diagnosed with PTMC. Surgeons are more likely to discuss AS compared to endocrinologists (P=0.03). Forty-eight percent of respondents report managing patients with AS in the past year, those who are able to perform thyroid ultrasounds are more likely to utilise AS (P=0.03). Common perceived barriers to AS include patient anxiety, lack of access to regular follow-up and lack of patient compliance. Conclusions: Our survey shows that Australian and New Zealand clinicians are generally aware of AS as a treatment option for PTMC, but there remain considerable barriers for common implementation.

The Role of Radiofrequency Ablation in Benign and Malignant Thyroid Nodules.

Radiofrequency ablation (RFA) offers a minimally invasive solution for benign, autonomously functioning (AFTN), and malignant thyroid nodules. The technique utilizes high-frequency alternating current to induce coagulative necrosis, effectively destroying target tissue. RFA is performed in the outpatient setting with local anesthesia and sonographic guidance. RFA is effective in producing substantial volume reduction rates in benign nodules and is emerging as a favorable option in AFTN and papillary thyroid microcarcinoma. RFA's advantages include lower complication rates, minimal scarring, and improved quality-of-life outcomes compared to surgery. However, its efficacy in larger and recurrent malignancies requires further investigation.

The role of intraoperative central lymph node biopsy in the treatment of clinically low-risk PTMC.

PURPOSE: To evaluate the role of intraoperative frozen biopsy of central lymph nodes in central neck dissection and thyroidectomy in patients of unilateral, clinically negative nodes (cN0) papillary thyroid microcarcinoma (PTMC) without extra-glandular invasion. METHODS: The clinical data of 465 patients were collected retrospectively. Part of prelaryngeal, pretracheal and ipsilateral paratracheal lymph nodes were taken for frozen pathological examination during the operation. Then the thyroid lobe on the tumor side and isthmus were excised, and central neck dissection of the affected side was performed in all patients. The number of metastases in entire central lymph nodes of the affected side can be obtained by postoperative paraffin pathology. If the number of positive lymph nodes during surgery is ≥3, contralateral gland resection was performed. RESULTS: In this group of 465 patients, there were 186 cases with central lymph node metastasis. The Kappa coefficient of consistency between frozen pathology and paraffin pathology in central lymph nodes was 0.605. The ROC curve for the number of intraoperative frozen metastases-postoperative pathological metastases over 5 showed that the AUC of the curve was 0.793, while the maximum Youden index was 0.5259, whose corresponding number of positive lymph nodes was 3. CONCLUSION: Intraoperative central lymph nodes biopsy can be used as an important indicator for the status of central lymph node metastasis in unilateral cN0 PTMC patients without extra-glandular invasion and a determinant for central lymph node dissection. While the number of positive lymph nodes intraoperatively is ≥3, total thyroidectomy should be considered.

Progress in research on ablation of thyroid nodules.

The incidence of thyroid nodules is rising annually. Surgical treatment is effective, but often results in significant trauma, recurrent laryngeal nerve injury, hypoparathyroidism, and other complications. Recent years have seen significant breakthroughs in thyroid nodule ablation for treating thyroid diseases, although its application remains controversial. The objective was to review the development history and current research status of thyroid nodule ablation to provide a reference for future studies. The literature on thyroid nodule ablation was reviewed, analysing its advantages and disadvantages. The therapeutic effect of thyroid nodule ablation in treating benign thyroid lesions is noteworthy, but issues such as lax treatment indications and excessive medical treatment persist. Initial success has been achieved in treating thyroid malignant lesions, particularly papillary thyroid microcarcinoma (PTMC). However, the curative effect requires further follow-up verification.

Recent development and future application of biodegradable ureteral stents.

Ureteral stenting is a common clinical procedure for the treatment of upper urinary tract disorders, including conditions such as urinary tract infections, tumors, stones, and inflammation. Maintaining normal renal function by preventing and treating ureteral obstruction is the primary goal of this procedure. However, the use of ureteral stents is associated with adverse effects, including surface crusting, bacterial adhesion, and lower urinary tract symptoms (LUTS) after implantation. Recognizing the need to reduce the complications associated with permanent ureteral stent placement, there is a growing interest among both physicians and patients in the use of biodegradable ureteral stents (BUS). The evolution of stent materials and the exploration of different stent coatings have given these devices different roles tailored to different clinical needs, including anticolithic, antibacterial, antitumor, antinociceptive, and others. This review examines recent advances in BUS within the last 5 years, providing an in-depth analysis of their characteristics and performance. In addition, we present prospective insights into the future applications of BUS in clinical settings.

Risk factors for tumor enlargement in low-risk papillary thyroid microcarcinoma patients: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

PURPOSE: The current management guidelines for low-risk papillary thyroid microcarcinoma (PTMC) do not specify how to screen for growing tumors. We sought to explore the possible risk factors for tumor enlargement in patients with low-risk PTMC under active surveillance (AS). METHODS: We searched the PubMed and Embase databases for high quality studies up to January 10th, 2024. The Newcastle-Ottawa Scale (NOS) was used to assess the quality of the included studies, and Review Manager 5.4 was used to analyze possible risk factors and calculate pooled risk ratios (RRs) via the inverse-variance calculation method. RESULTS: Eleven studies were included in our meta-analysis. Among the 8880 participants, 464 experienced tumor growth, and the incidence of tumor growth varied from 3.4% to 19.4%. The results of the meta-analysis showed that tumor enlargement was associated with younger age (pooled RR = 2.32, 95% CI = 1.85-2.90, p < 0.00001; 8 studies), and higher serum thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH) levels (pooled RR = 2.28, 95% CI = 1.19-4.37, p = 0.01; 6 studies), and could be related to pregnancy (pooled RR = 2.54, 95% CI = 1.17-5.52, p = 0.02; 2 studies). However, these following factors showed no significant association with tumor growth: sex (pooled RR = 1.07, 95% CI = 0.63-1.84, p = 0.79; 7 studies), tumor size at diagnosis (pooled RR = 1.08, 95% CI = 0.63-1.85, p = 0.77; 5 studies), and Hashimoto's thyroiditis (HT) (pooled RR = 1.56, 95% CI = 0.93-2.60, p = 0.09; 2 studies). CONCLUSION: Our analysis identified that younger age and higher serum TSH levels were higher risk factors for tumor enlargement in low-risk PTMC patients. Pregnancy is a suspected risk factor.

The survival after thyroidectomy versus lobectomy in multifocal papillary thyroid microcarcinoma patients.

BACKGROUND: The extent of thyroid surgery for multifocal papillary thyroid microcarcinoma (PTMC) remains controversial. Studies on the optimal surgical approach for a multifocal PTMC are scarce. This study aimed to compare the effectiveness of thyroidectomy and lobectomy for the treatment of multifocal PTMC. METHODS: A population-based retrospective cohort of patients with multifocal PTMC was analyzed using the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) database between 2004 and 2017, and divided into two groups (thyroidectomy, lobectomy) based on the surgical approach. The clinicopathologic features and survival outcomes were compared between the two groups. Cox proportional hazards regression analysis to explore prognostic factors of survival. Propensity score matching (PSM) was used to balance covariates. RESULTS: Overall, a total of 9387 multifocal PTMC patients were included in the study. Among them, 8,107 (86.36%) patients received thyroidectomy, and 1280 (13.64%) patients underwent lobectomy. Compared to patients in the thyroidectomy group, patients in the lobectomy group were diagnosed with older age (50.47 years vs. 49.32 years, p = 0.003), a higher proportion of males (20.47% vs. 14.99%, p < 0.001), larger tumors (6.22 mm vs. 4.97 mm, p < 0.001), and more frequently underwent radiotherapy (35.40% vs. 10.16%, p < 0.001). Multivariate Cox regression analysis revealed that age was the only independent prognostic factor for thyroid cancer-specific survival (TCSS), and the determinants of overall survival (OS) were age and gender. Unadjusted survival analysis revealed no difference between the two treatment groups in TCSS (p = 0.598) and OS (p = 0.126). After 1:1 Propensity Score Matching (PSM), there was still no difference in TCSS (p = 0.368) or OS (p = 0.388). The stratified analysis revealed that for patients aged under or above 55, thyroidectomy was not associated with superior BCSS or OS (p > 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: Thyroidectomy was not associated with improved survival compared to thyroid lobectomy for patients with multifocal PTMC.

Surgical rescue mitral valve procedure post percutaneous transluminal mitral commissurotomy-a single-center observational study.

Percutaneous transluminal mitral commissurotomy (PTMC) has become the standard of care for severe mitral stenosis with favorable anatomy. Although the complications have reduced over the years, the need for emergency surgical rescue persists. This study evaluates the outcomes of surgical rescue performed within 24 h of undergoing PTMC from 1 January 2013 to 31 December 2019. Out of 2259 PTMC patients, 22 patients (< 1%) required rescue mitral valve surgery. Out of 22 patients, 17 patients (77.27%) developed mitral regurgitation; five patients (22.7%) had cardiac tamponade. Mitral valve replacement was performed in 20 patients (90.9%), while two patients (9.1%) underwent mitral valve repair. Cardiac tamponade was secondary to injury of the left atrium (9.1%), left ventricle (4.5%), and right ventricle (9.1%). Concomitant tricuspid valve repair was done in three patients (13.6%). Intraoperatively, anterior mitral leaflet tear was seen in 68.2% while posterior mitral leaflet tear was noted in 9.1%. Postoperatively, three patients (13.6%) required prolonged ventilation, incidence of stroke was 4.5% (n = 1), and in-hospital mortality was 4.5% (n = 1). Intra-aortic balloon pump was used in three patients (13.6%), preoperatively. We conclude that post-PTMC complications are rare, but they require urgent surgical intervention.

Development of a nomogram for prediction of central lymph node metastasis of papillary thyroid microcarcinoma.

BACKGROUND: Papillary thyroid carcinoma (PTC) is the most frequent malignant tumor in thyroid carcinoma. The aim of this study was to explore the risk factors associated with central lymph node metastasis in papillary thyroid microcarcinoma (PTMC) and establish a nomogram model that can assess the probability of central lymph node metastasis (CLNM). METHODS: The clinicopathological data of 377 patients with cN0 PTMC were collected and analyzed from The Second Affiliated Hospital of Fujian Medical University from July 1st, 2019 to December 30th, 2021. All patients were examined by underwent ultrasound (US), found without metastasis to central lymph nodes, and diagnosed with PTMC through pathologic examination. All patients received thyroid lobectomy or total thyroidectomy with therapeutic or prophylactic central lymph node dissection (CLND). R software (Version 4.1.0) was employed to conduct a series of statistical analyses and establish the nomogram. RESULTS: A total of 119 patients with PTMC had central lymph node metastases (31.56%). After that, age (P < 0.05), gender (P < 0.05), tumor size (P < 0.05), tumor multifocality (P < 0.05), and ultrasound imaging-suggested tumor boundaries (P < 0.05) were identified as the risk factors associated with CLNM. Subsequently, multivariate logistic regression analysis indicated that the area under the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve (AUC) of the training cohort was 0.703 and that of the validation cohort was 0.656, demonstrating that the prediction ability of this model is relatively good compared to existing models. The calibration curves indicated a good fit for the nomogram model. Finally, the decision curve analysis (DCA) showed that a probability threshold of 0.15-0.50 could benefit patients clinically. The probability threshold used in DCA captures the relative value the patient places on receiving treatment for the disease, if present, compared to the value of avoiding treatment if the disease is not present. CONCLUSION: CLNM is associated with many risk factors, including age, gender, tumor size, tumor multifocality, and ultrasound imaging-suggested tumor boundaries. The nomogram established in our study has moderate predictive ability for CLNM and can be applied to the clinical management of patients with PTMC. Our findings will provide a better preoperative assessment and treatment strategies for patients with PTMC whether to undergo central lymph node dissection.

The ultrasound-based radiomics-clinical machine learning model to predict papillary thyroid microcarcinoma in TI-RADS 3 nodules.

Background: Conventional ultrasound (CUS) technology has proven to be successful in the identification of thyroid nodules. Moreover, the American College of Radiology Thyroid Imaging Reporting and Data System (ACR TI-RADS) was developed for the purpose of evaluating the risk of thyroid nodules based on ultrasound imaging. Nevertheless, identifying papillary thyroid microcarcinoma (PTMC) from TI-RADS 3 nodules using this system can be difficult due to overlapping morphological features. The main objective of this study was to investigate the efficacy of a machine learning model that utilizes ultrasound-based radiomics features and clinical information in accurately predicting the presence of PTMC in TI-RADS 3 nodules. Methods: A total of 221 patients with TI-RADS 3 nodules were included, consisting of 91 cases of PTMC and 130 benign thyroid nodules. They were randomly divided into training and test cohort in an 8:2 ratio. Radiomics features were extracted from CUS images by manually outlining the targets, while clinical parameters were obtained from electronic medical records. The radiomics model, clinical model, and combined model were constructed and validated to distinguish between PTMC and benign thyroid nodules. Radiomics variables were extracted via the Pyradiomics package (V1.3.0). Moreover, least absolute shrinkage and selection operator (LASSO) regression was used for feature selection. Light Gradient Boosting Machine (LightGBM) was employed to build both radiomics and clinical models. Ultimately, a radiomics-clinical model, which fused radiomics features with clinical information, was developed. Results: Among a total of 1,477 radiomics features, fifteen features that were found to be associated with PTMC through univariate analysis and LASSO regression were selected for the development of the radiomics model. The combined "radiomics-clinical" model demonstrated superior diagnostic accuracy compared to the clinical model for distinguishing PTMC in both the training dataset [area under receiver operating curve (AUC): 0.975 vs. 0.845] and the validation dataset (AUC: 0.898 vs. 0.811). We constructed a radiomics-clinical nomogram, and the clinical applicability was confirmed through decision curve analysis. Conclusions: Utilizing an ultrasound-based radiomics approach has proven to be effective in predicting PTMC in patients with TI-RADS 3 nodules.

A Preliminary Study on the Microwave Ablation of Multifocal Papillary Thyroid Microcarcinoma.

RATIONALE AND OBJECTIVES: To evaluate the feasibility, efficiency, and safety of microwave ablation (MWA) for multifocal papillary thyroid microcarcinoma (PTMC). METHODS: This was a retrospective study, and the data of patients who underwent MWA for multifocal PTMC from October 2016 to December 2021 were reviewed. After ablation, the changes in tumor size and volume, as well as the rates of technical success, tumor disappearance, disease progression, and complications, were assessed. According to the tumor location, the cases were further divided into a unilateral multifocal disease (UMD) subgroup and a bilateral multifocal disease (BMD) subgroup. Further analyses were carried out. RESULTS: There was a total of 94 cases enrolled in the present study, which included 24 males and 70 females. The median age was 40 years (22-66 years); the median follow-up time was 14 months (6-48 months). Complete ablation was achieved in all enrolled cases. Therefore, the technical success rate was 100%. Due to expanding ablation, the MD and volume of the ablation zone increased at the 1st and 3rd months after ablation and decreased from the 12th month after ablation (p < 0.05 for all). The total complete tumor disappearance rates were 45/94 (47.87%) overall, 40.625% (13/32) in the UMD subgroup and 51.61% (32/62) in the BMD subgroup (p = 0.312). The total disease progression rates were 4.26% (4/94) overall, 6.25% (2/32) in the UMD subgroup and 3.23% (2/62) in the BMD subgroup (p = 0.881). The overall complication rate was 4.26% (4/94). CONCLUSION: This preliminary study indicates that MWA is a safe and effective treatment for multifocal PTMC.

Cost-effectiveness of active surveillance versus early surgery for thyroid micropapillary carcinoma based on diagnostic and treatment norms in China.

Objectives: In this study, we compared the cost-effectiveness comparison of the active surveillance (AS) and early surgery (ES) approaches for papillary thyroid microcarcinoma (PTMC) from the perspective of the Chinese healthcare system. Methods: We performed a cost-effectiveness analysis using a Markov model of PTMC we developed to evaluate the incremental cost-effectiveness ratio of AS and ES. Our reference case was of a 40-year-old woman diagnosed with unifocal (<10 mm) PTMC. Relevant data were extracted after an extensive literature review, and the cost incurred in each state was determined using China Medicare data on payments for ES and AS. The willingness-to-pay threshold was set at ¥242,928/quality-adjusted life-year (QALY) gained. Sensitivity analyses were performed to account for any uncertainty in the model's variables. Additional subgroup analyses were performed to determine whether AS was cost-effective when different initial monitoring ages were used. Results: ES exhibited an effectiveness of 5.2 QALYs, whereas AS showed an effectiveness of 25.8 QALYs. Furthermore, the incremental cost-effectiveness ratio for ES versus AS was ¥1,009/QALY. The findings of all sensitivity analyses were robust. Compared with ES, AS was found to be the cost-effective strategy at initial monitoring ages of 20 and 60 years, with an incremental cost-effectiveness ratio of ¥3,431/QALY and -¥1,316/QALY at 20 and 60 years, respectively. AS was a more cost-effective strategy in patients with PTMC aged more than 60. Conclusions: With respect to the norms of the Chinese healthcare system, AS was more cost-effective for PTMC over lifetime surveillance than ES. Furthermore, it was cost-effective even when the initial monitoring ages were different. In addition, if AS is incorporated into the management plan for PTMC in China at the earliest possible stage, a predicted savings of ¥10 × 108/year could be enabled for every 50,000 cases of PTMC, which indicates a good economic return for future management programs. The identification of such nuances can help physicians and patients determine the best and most individualized long-term management strategy for low-risk PTMC.

Prediction of ablation zone disappearance after microwave ablation for the patients with papillary thyroid microcarcinoma using nomograph.

Objectives: To construct a prognostic nomogram to predict the ablation zone disappearance for patients with papillary thyroid microcarcinoma (PTMC) after microwave ablation (MWA). Materials and methods: From April 2020 to April 2022, patients with PTMC who underwent MWA treatment were collected retrospectively. Ultrasound (US) or contrast-enhanced ultrasound (CEUS) was performed at 1 day, 1, 3, 6, 12, 18 and 24 months after MWA to observe the curative effect after ablation. The volume, volume reduction rate (VRR) and complete disappearance rate of the ablation zone at each time point were calculated. Univariate and multivariate logistic regression analysis were used to determine the prognostic factors associated with the disappearance of the ablation zone after MWA, and the nomogram was established and validated. Results: 72 patients with PTMCs underwent MWA were enrolled into this study. After MWA, no tumor progression (residual, recurrence or lymph node metastasis) and major postoperative complications occurred. The ablation zone in 28 (38.89%) patients did not completely disappear after MWA in the follow-up period. Three variables, including age (odds ratio [OR]: 1.216), calcification type (OR: 12.283), initial maximum diameter (OR: 2.051) were found to be independent prognostic factors predicting ablation zone status after MWA by multivariate analysis. The above variables and outcomes were visualized by nomogram (C-index=0.847). Conclusions: MWA was a safe and effective treatment for PTMC. Older patients with macrocalcification and larger size PTMCs were more unlikely to obtain complete disappearance of ablation zones. Incomplete disappearance of ablation zone was not related to recurrence.

Predictive nomogram for central lymph node metastasis in papillary thyroid microcarcinoma based on pathological and ultrasound features.

Background: Central lymph node metastases (CLNM) in papillary thyroid microcarcinoma (PTMC) are common, but management through prophylactic central lymph node dissection (pCLND) remains controversial. In this study, the independent predictors of CLNM in PTMC were retrospectively studied based on ultrasound and pathological data, and we aim to establish the prediction model to predict CLNM in PTMC. Methods: This study included a total of 1,506 patients who underwent thyroid surgery for PTMC at the First Affiliated Hospital of Chongqing Medical University from 2015 to 2018. Ultrasound and clinicopathological features were summarized and analyzed. Univariate and multivariate analyses were performed to determine the risk factors associated with CLNM. The prediction model is established and verified according to the multivariate analysis results. The Kaplan-Meier curve was used to evaluate the effect of CLNM on survival. Results: The CLNM rate was 44.5% (670/1,506). Multivariate analysis showed that men, younger age, smaller diameter, ETE, microcalcification, without Hashimoto's thyroiditis, and multifocal were independent risk predictors of CLNM. Nomogram has a good discriminative ability (C-index: 0.755 in the validation group), and the calibration effect is good. In the DCA curve, the CLNM prediction model performed better net benefit given any high-risk thresholds. The median follow-up time was 30 months (12-59 months), 116 cases were lost, and the follow-up rate was 92.8% (1,506/1,622). Of the 1,506 patients included, 12 (0.8%) experienced recurrence. Conclusion: The likelihood of CLNM can be objectively quantified before surgery by using this reliable and accurate nomogram that combines preoperative ultrasound with clinicopathological features. Clinicians can use this nomogram to assess central lymph node status in patients with PTMC and consider prophylactic CND in patients with high scores.

Survival benefit of active surveillance for papillary thyroid carcinoma: a propensity score matching analysis based on SEER database.

Background: Over-treatment of papillary thyroid microcarcinoma (PTMC) has become a common issue. Although active surveillance (AS) has been proposed as an alternative treatment to immediate surgery for PTMC, its inclusion criteria and mortality risk have not been clearly defined. The purpose of this study was to investigate whether surgery can achieve significant survival benefits in patients with larger tumor diameter of papillary thyroid carcinoma (PTC), in order to evaluate the feasibility of expanding the threshold for active surveillance. Methods: This study retrospectively collected data of patients with papillary thyroid carcinoma from the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) database between 2000 and 2019. The propensity score matching (PSM) method was used to minimize confounding factors and selection bias between the surgery and non-surgery groups, and to compare the clinical and pathological characteristics between the two groups based on the SEER cohort. Meanwhile, the impact of surgery on prognosis was compared using Kaplan-Meier estimates and Cox proportional hazard models. Results: A total of 175,195 patients were extracted from the database, including 686 patients who received non-surgical treatment, and were matched 1:1 with patients who received surgical treatment using propensity score matching. The Cox proportional hazard forest plot showed that age was the most important factor affecting overall survival (OS) of patients, while tumor size was the most important factor affecting disease-specific survival (DSS) of patients. In terms of tumor size, there was no significant difference in DSS between PTC patients with tumor size of 0-1.0cm who underwent surgical treatment and those who underwent non-surgical treatment, and the relative survival risk began to increase after the tumor size exceeded 2.0cm. Additionally, the Cox proportional hazard forest plot showed that chemotherapy, radioactive iodine, and multifocality were negative factors affecting DSS. Moreover, the risk of death increased over time, and no plateau phase was observed. Conclusion: For patients with papillary thyroid carcinoma (PTC) staged as T1N0M0, AS is a feasible management strategy. As the tumor diameter increases, the risk of death without surgical treatment gradually increases, but there may be a threshold. Within this range, a non-surgical approach may be a potentially viable management strategy. However, beyond this range, surgery may be more beneficial for patient survival. Therefore, it is necessary to conduct more large-scale prospective randomized controlled trials to further confirm these findings.

Diagnostic accuracy of dual-energy computed tomography-based nomogram for differentiating papillary thyroid microcarcinomas from micronodular goiters.

Background: The misdiagnosis of papillary thyroid microcarcinoma (PTMC) and micronodular goiter (MNG) may lead to overtreatment and unnecessary medical expenditure by patients. This study developed and validated a dual-energy computed tomography (DECT)-based nomogram for the preoperative differential diagnosis of PTMC and MNG. Methods: This retrospective study analyzed the data of 366 pathologically confirmed thyroid micronodules, of which 183 were PTMCs and 183 were MNGs, from 326 patients who underwent DECT examinations. The cohort was divided into the training (n=256) and validation cohorts (n=110). The conventional radiological features and DECT quantitative parameters were analyzed. The iodine concentration (IC), normalized iodine concentration (NIC), effective atomic number, normalized effective atomic number, and slope of the spectral attenuation curves in the arterial phase (AP) and venous phase (VP) were measured. A univariate analysis and stepwise logistic regression analysis were performed to screen the independent indicators for PTMC. A radiological model, DECT model, and DECT-radiological nomogram were constructed, and the performances of the 3 models were assessed using the receiver operating characteristic curve, DeLong test, and a decision curve analysis (DCA). Results: The IC in the AP [odds ratio (OR) =0.172], NIC in the AP (OR =0.003), punctate calcification (OR =2.163), and enhanced blurring (OR =3.188) were identified as independent predictors in the stepwise-logistic regression. The areas under the curve with 95% confidence intervals (CIs) of the radiological model, DECT model, and DECT-radiological nomogram were 0.661 (95% CI: 0.595-0.728), 0.856 (95% CI: 0.810-0.902), and 0.880 (95% CI: 0.839-0.921), respectively, in the training cohort; and 0.701 (95% CI: 0.601-0.800), 0.791 (95% CI: 0.704-0.877), and 0.836 (95% CI: 0.760-0.911), respectively, in the validation cohort. The diagnostic performance of the DECT-radiological nomogram was better than that of the radiological model (P<0.05). The DECT-radiological nomogram was found to be well calibrated and had a good net benefit. Conclusions: DECT provides valuable information for differentiating between PTMC and MNG. The DECT-radiological nomogram could serve as an easy-to-use, noninvasive, and effective method for differentiating between PTMC and MNG and help clinicians in decision-making.

Ultrasound-guided percutaneous laser ablation for papillary thyroid microcarcinoma: a literature review.

The incidence of papillary thyroid microcarcinoma has been increasing worldwide. However, the optimal management strategy remains a topic of discussion and varies from an active follow-up to a thyroidectomy. New thermoablation techniques for selected cases seem to be sufficiently effective but minimally invasive. One of the newest thermoablation methods is ultrasound-guided percutaneous laser ablation. There are already some data showing promising results of this method in the management of papillary thyroid microcarcinomas. In this article, we review recent papers and conclude on the current status of the ultrasound-guided percutaneous laser ablation technique for the management of papillary thyroid microcarcinomas.