Deaths related to differentiated thyroid cancer: a rare but real event

ABSTRACT Objective The present study describes the clinical and tumor characteristics of patients that died from differentiated thyroid cancer and reports on the cause and circumstances of death in these cases. Subjects and methods Retrospective analysis of all the differentiated thyroid cancer (DTC) related deaths at a single institution over a 5-year period, with a total of 33 patients. Results Most of the patients were female (63.6%), with a mean age at diagnosis of 58.2 years. The most common histologic type was papillary (66.7%) and 30.3% were follicular. The distribution according to the TNM classification was: 15.4% of T1; 7.7% T2; 38.4% T3; 19.2% of T4a and 19.2% of T4b. Forty-four percent of cases were N0; 20% N1a and 36.6% of N1b. Twelve patients were considered non-responsive to radioiodine. Only one of the patients did not have distant metastases. The most common metastatic site was the lung in 69.7%. The majority of deaths were due to pulmonary complications related to lung metastases (17 patients, 51.5%), followed by post-operative complications in 5 cases, neurological disease progression in 3 cases, local invasion and airway obstruction in one patient. Median survival between diagnosis and death was reached in 49 months while between disease progression and death it was at 22 months. Conclusion Mortality from DTC is extremely rare but persists, and the main causes of death derive from distant metastasis, especially respiratory failure due to lung metastasis. Once disease progression is established, median survival was only 22 months.

Managing Thyroid Microcarcinomas

Papillary thyroid microcarcinomas (PTMCs) are the most common form of classic papillary thyroid carcinoma (PTC). PTMCs are typically discovered by fine-needle-aspiration biopsy (FNAB), usually with sensitive imaging studies, or are found during thyroid surgery in a patient without a previously known history of thyroid carcinoma. However, the definition of PTMC has not always been universally accepted, thus creating controversy concerning the diagnosis and treatment of PTMC. The aim of this review is to summarize the clinical features of PTMC and identify the widely differing opinions concerning the diagnosis and management of these small ubiquitous thyroid tumors.

Factores pronóstico de las variantes de cáncer papilar de tiroides / Association between pathological variants of papillary thyroid cancer and prognosis

Background: Papillary thyroid carcinoma had a survival over 90 percent in stages I , II and III. Treatment failures are observed in advanced tumors, when there is lymph node involvement or when there is vascular invasion. Aim: To assess the prognostic value of pathological variants of papillary thyroid carcinoma. Material and Methods: Review of pathological records of patients with papillary thyroid cancer operated between January 1999 and December 2008 in a regional hospital. The pathological variant of the tumor was revised and classified again as follicular variant, sclerosing, solid, tall cell variant, columnar variant, oncocytic, cribriform, microcarcinoma, insular variant and poorly differentiated. Results: The records of 51 females aged 48 +/- 16 years and 12 males aged 42 +/- 18 years were identified. Forty patients had a well differentiated carcinoma (63 percent), 16 had a follicular variant (25 percent), four had a sclerosing variant and three other types. Capsule involvement was observed in six of 27 stage I, four of nine stage II, 20 of 26 stage III and one of one stage four tumor. Peritumoral lymphatic invasion was observed in 12 of 27 stage I, four of nine stage II, 21 of 26 stage III and one of one stage IV tumor. Lymph node relapse was observed in three patients without and nine patients with capsule involvement (p < 0.01) and in 11 of 38 patients without and 27 of 38 patients with lymphatic invasion (p < 0.01). Two patients in stage III and one in stage IV died. Lethality was 3 percent. Conclusions: Relapse of papillary carcinoma was associated with capsule involvement and lymphatic invasion. Tumor variants were not associated with relapse or mortality.

Objetivo del estudio: Identificar la incidencia de las variantes del cáncer papilar de tiroides (CPT), factores de mal pronóstico asociados a variantes histológicas, comparar la recurrencia y estadio de la enfermedad según la variedad, e identificar pacientes de alto riesgo de recurrencia. Material y Método: Cohorte única longitudinal entre Enero de 1999 y Diciembre de 2008. La clasificación de los subtipos fue: papilar bien diferenciado, variante folicular, esclerosante, sólido, células altas, células columnares, oncocítico, cribiforme, microcarcinoma, insular y pobremente diferenciado. Resultados: Incidencia: papilar bien diferenciado 40 casos (63,5 por ciento), variante folicular 16 casos (25,4 por ciento), esclerosante 4 casos, otros 3 casos. Hubo compromiso de la cápsula del tiroides en 6/27 casos en estadio I, 4/9 casos en estadio II, 20/26 casos en estadio III y 1/1 caso en estadio IV, p < 0,01. Hubo 3 recurrencias ganglionares sin compromiso tumoral de la cápsula y 9 recurrencias con compromiso tumoral, p < 0,05. Hubo invasión linfática peritumoral en 12/27 en estadio I; 4/9 casos en estadio II, 21/ 26 casos en estadio III, y 1/1 en estadio I V, p < 0,05. En 11/38 pacientes sin invasión linfática hubo recurrencia ganglionar y 27/38 con invasión linfática hubo recurrencia, p < 0,01. Fallecieron 2 casos en estadio III y 1 en estadio I V, p < 0,01. La letalidad fue 3,2 por ciento. Conclusión: La recurrencia se asoció a estadio avanzado, compromiso de cápsula e infiltración linfática. No identificamos asociación entre recurrencia y variedades del CPT. La mortalidad se asoció a estadio avanzado. No identificamos asociación entre variante histológica y mortalidad, p = 0,48.

Increase incidence of thyroid cancer in Florianopolis, Brazil: comparative study of diagnosed cases in 2000 and 2005 / Aumento da incidência do câncer de tireoide em Florianópolis, Brasil: estudo comparativo dos casos diagnosticados nos anos 2000 e 2005

OBJECTIVE: To provide epidemiological information about thyroid cancer (TC) in the Metropolitan area of Florianopolis and investigate some factors that could be associated with this type of cancer. METHOD: This study analyzed data of patients who had TC diagnosed and underwent surgical treatment in 2000 and 2005. Epidemiological factors about patients, tumors and surgical procedures were evaluated. RESULTS: In 2000 and 2005, an increasing incidence of TC at a rate of 132.33% was detected. The increased rate was mainly observed for tumors measuring less than 1 cm (p = 0.004). Results also showed an increase in the number of multifocal tumors (p = 0.02) and in the rate of total thyroidectomy (p = 0.002). CONCLUSIONS: The increasing incidence of TC in the Metropolitan area of Florianopolis is probably due to more invasive thyroid nodule management. Future studies are necessary to establish potential predicting factors for papillary thyroid microcarcinoma aggressiveness, as well as predictors of follicular lesion malignancy to identifying more accurately the appropriate therapy approach.

OBJETIVO: Fornecer informações epidemiológicas acerca do câncer de tireoide (CT) na Grande Florianópolis e avaliar fatores que possam estar associados a tal neoplasia. MÉTODOS: A população de estudo incluiu pacientes, com diagnóstico de CT, submetidos a tratamento cirúrgico em 2000 e 2005. Foram avaliados fatores epidemiológicos referentes aos pacientes, características das lesões e procedimentos cirúrgicos realizados. RESULTADOS: Durante o período de estudo, detectou-se um aumento na incidência do CT correspondente a 132,33%. Verificouse um incremento estatisticamente significativo dos tumores menores de um centímetro (p = 0,004), da proporção de tumores multicêntricos (p = 0,02) e de tireoidectomias totais (p = 0,002). CONCLUSÕES: A maior incidência do CT na Grande Florianópolis está possivelmente associada a uma conduta mais intervencionista na abordagem de nódulos tireoidianos. Estudos futuros se fazem necessários para o estabelecimento de critérios preditivos da agressividade dos microcarcinomas papilíferos e de malignidade das lesões foliculares no sentido de identificar com acurácia a melhor opção terapêutica.

Evolución y factores de pronóstico en cáncer diferenciado de tiroides / Evolution and prognosis of differentiated thyroid carcinoma

Differentiated thyroid carcinoma has a good prognosis with a 90 percent survival at 10 years. Follicular carcinoma is more aggressive than papillary carcinoma Aim: To study the clinical presentation, evolution and prognosis of differentiated thyroid carcinoma. Material and Methods: The pathological registries of differentiated thyroid cancer processed in a pathology service of a general hospital, between 1984 and 2007, were searched. The clinical records of patients were reviewed. Results: One hundred six pathology registries were identified but only 89 patients had complete medical records. Seventy six patients aged 44 +/- 16 years had a papillary carcinoma and 13 patients aged 42 +/- 15 years had a follicular carcinoma. After a mean follow up of 53 months, 65 patients with papillary and 12 patients with follicular thyroid cancer were alive. Five patients with papillary carcinoma and one with follicular carcinoma had a local or distant relapse. Calculated actuarial survival at 10 years was 84 and 100 percent for papillary and follicular carcinoma, respectively. Ten year survival for stage I, II, III and IV tumors was 100, 92, 68 and 0 percent, respectively. Mortality was associated with the presence of distant metastases, a stage IV tumor, vascular or lymphatic tumor infiltration, tumor size, lymph node involvement, extra capsular invasion and a multi focal lesions. The relative risk for mortality increases between 2.7 and 9 times with the presence of lymph node infiltration and distant metastases. Conclusions: The prognosis of differentiated thyroid cancer is related to lymph node infiltration and the presence of distant metastases.

Los objetivos del presente estudio son identificar la forma de presentación clínica y evolución del cáncer diferenciado de tiroides (CDT); definir la curva de sobrevivencia para ambos tipos histológicos e identificar los factores clínicos e histológicos de mal pronóstico. Se presentan 89 pacientes portadores de cáncer diferenciado (papilar y folicular) de tiroides (75 CP Y 13 CF) tratados en los Hospitales de Coquimbo y La Serena, entre 1984 y 2007. La forma de presentación de ambos tumores fue similar. La mediana de seguimiento fue 53 meses. El 75 por ciento de los pacientes tuvo un seguimiento mínimo de 7 años y el 86,4 por ciento de los pacientes (64 cáncer papilar y 12 cáncer folicular) se encuentran vivos y libres de enfermedad; el intervalo libre de enfermedad fue de 52,7 meses con rango entre 3 meses y 16 años. La sobrevida actuarial a 10 a±os para cáncer papilar es 84 por ciento y, para cáncer folicular 100 por ciento. Por estadios, a los 10 años la sobrevida es de 100 por ciento en estadio I, 92 por ciento en estadio II, 68 por ciento en estadio III y 0 por ciento en estadio IV. El riesgo de muerte se asoció a la presencia de metástasis distantes, T4 e infiltración histológica vascular y/o linfática, p = 0,02. Otros factores no mostraron asociación: tamaño del tumor < T4, compromiso de linfonodos, invasión extracapsular y multifocalidad histológica. Sin embargo, el RR se incrementa 2,7 y 9 veces con invasión linfática o con presencia de metástasis, 1,6 veces con el aumento del tamaño tumoral, y 1,33 con multifocalidad neoplásica en la glándula. La presencia de metástasis linfáticas en cáncer papilar representa un RR de 1,22. Aunque el seguimiento de esta casuística es reducido (mediana 5 años), los resultados sugieren que el mal pronóstico se asocia fundamentalmente a compromiso linfático y metástasis a distancia y, por otra parte, a que el planteamiento terapéutico ha resultado efectivo para el control de la enfermedad en estadio I y II.

Repercussão clínica da reclassificação dos carcinomas diferenciados de tireóide de acordo com a 6ª edição do TNM / Clinical repercussion of the 6th edition TNM staging system classification on differentiated thyroid carcinoma

A classificação TNM segundo a UICC é usada para avaliar os resultados do acompanhamento do carcinoma de tireóide. A 6ª edição modificou a descrição do tumor primário (T), dos linfonodos regionais (N) e dos grupos de estadiamento. O objetivo deste estudo foi comparar a habilidade das 5ª e 6ª edições em predizer resultados. As duas classificações foram aplicadas em uma análise retrospectiva de 90 pacientes do HUCFF. Sessenta e nove pacientes apresentavam carcinoma papilífero, 14 folicular, 4 células de Hürthle e 3 misto. Os pacientes foram acompanhados por um período médio de 58,3 meses. Ao final do acompanhamento, 49 pacientes estavam em remissão, 23 com doença persistente, 4 com recorrência tumoral, 11 com metástases e 3 evoluíram para o óbito. De acordo com a 6ª edição, 19 pacientes foram classificados como T1, comparado com 7 pela 5ª edição; 19 pacientes T2 comparado com 30; 14 classificados como T3 comparado com 10; 22 como T4 comparado com 27, e 16 pacientes como Tx. Ambas as edições mostraram remissões comparáveis para os estágios I, II e III. Para o estágio IV houve uma mudança significativa na remissão, entretanto não houve diferença comparando IV e IV C.

The TNM classification of UICC is used for predicting the outcome of thyroid cancer. The 6th edition changed the description of primary tumor (T), regional lymph node (N) and the staging group. The aim of this study was to compare the ability of the 5th and the 6th editions to predict outcome. The two classifications were applied in a retrospective analysis of 90 patients from HUCFF. Sixty-nine patients had papillary carcinoma, 14 follicular, 4 Hürthle cell, and 3 mixed. Patients were followed for a mean period of 58.3 months. At the end of follow-up, 49 patients were disease-free, 23 persisted with disease, 4 had cervical recurrence, 11 had metastases and 3 died. According to the 6th edition, 19 patients were classified as T1, compared to 7 based on the 5th edition; 19 patients were T2 compared to 30; 14 were T3 compared to 10; 22 were T4 compared to 27, and 16 patients were Tx. Both editions showed comparable remissions for stages I, II, and III. For the stage IV there was a significant change in remission, however there was no difference comparing IV and IV C.