The role of neck ultrasound in the follow-up of low- and intermediate- risk papillary thyroid cancer
Arch. endocrinol. metab. (Online)
;
66(4): 481-488, July-Aug. 2022. tab, graf
Article
in English
|
LILACS-Express
| LILACS
| ID: biblio-1403223
ABSTRACT
ABSTRACT Objective:
The optimal time for a neck ultrasound (US) in the follow-up of papillary thyroid cancer (PTC) after the first year is undetermined. We aimed to verify the utility of routine neck US in the surveillance of patients diagnosed with low- and intermediate-risk PTC with no evidence of disease at the one-year assessment. Materials andmethods:
We conducted a retrospective longitudinal study of patients with low- and intermediate-risk PTC with normal neck US, unstimulated serum thyroglobulin (Tg) < 1 ng/mL and negative anti-Tg antibodies at the one-year follow-up. Patients were divided into group 1 [undetectable Tg (<0.20 ng/mL)] and group 2 [detectable Tg but < 1 ng/mL]. The negative predictive value (NPV) of the one-year unstimulated Tg at the five-year and last follow-up visits was calculated.Results:
We included n = 88 patients in group 1 and n = 8 patients in group 2. No patient from group 1 presented suspicious US findings at the five-year evaluation [NPV 100.0% (95% confidence interval (CI) 95.5%-100.0%)], and at the last visit, only one patient had developed a lymph node classified as suspicious [NPV 98.8% (95% CI 93.2%-100.0%); mean follow-up 6.7 years]. In group 2, two patients' USs presented suspicious findings at the five-year evaluation [NPV 75.0% (95% CI 34.9%-96.8%)]. At the last visit, only one patient persisted with suspicious findings in the US [NPV 87.5% (95% CI 47.4%-99.7%); mean follow-up 6.5 years].Conclusion:
Low- and intermediate-risk PTC with an excellent response to treatment at the one-year assessment can be safely monitored with regular unstimulated Tg assessments. Conclusions should not be drawn for Tg levels between 0.20-0.99 ng/mL.
Full text:
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Index:
LILACS (Americas)
Type of study:
Etiology study
/
Observational study
/
Prognostic study
/
Risk factors
Language:
English
Journal:
Arch. endocrinol. metab. (Online)
Journal subject:
Endocrinology
/
Metabolism
Year:
2022
Type:
Article
Affiliation country:
Portugal
Institution/Affiliation country:
Hospital de Braga/PT
/
Universidade do Minho/PT
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