Differentiated Thyroid Carcinoma in Cambodia: A Single-Center Experience

ABSTRACT

OBJECTIVE: The goal of our study was to identify the prevalence of differentiated thyroid cancer and the results of surgical and postoperative hormone treatment of patients with thyroid cancer at Sihanouk Hospital Center of HOPE (SHCH) in Cambodia. METHODS: We retrospectively collected data of all patients diagnosed with thyroid carcinoma from 2005 to 2014 in the surgical department of SHCH. The results of preoperative clinical assessment, laboratory tests, ultrasound, and fine needle aspiration cytology (FNAC) were correlated with the final histological findings. RESULTS: SHCH operated 587 cases of thyroid gland. Among those patients 36 cases (6.13%) are diagnosed as thyroid cancer managed by surgery and thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH) hormonal suppressed treatments postoperatively. Among the 36 patients with differentiated thyroid carcinoma (DTC), 35 (97.23%) were females and one (2.77%) was male. The median age is 44 years old. Patients living in Phnom Penh are in high prevalence. Papillary carcinoma was the most prevalent of histopathological type (n=33, 91.66%). We performed FNAC in 22 cases but only 11 patients (28.20%) had positive results for cancer and they received total thyroidectomy. The remaining patients had lobectomy or lobectomy with isthmusectomy and subsequent total thyroidectomy. All 36 patients have been taking L-thyroxine for TSH suppression, and they are still alive and continue their follow-up every 3 months regularly. CONCLUSION: We conclude that total thyroidectomy results in a lower risk for tumor recurrence and improved survival rates in DTC. It is clear that after initial surgery, whether or not radioiodine therapy is administered, we suggest L-thyroxine therapy to prevent hypothyroidism and to minimize potential TSH stimulation of tumor growth.