Objective: To investigate the clinical features, treatment and prognosis of the young adult papillary thyroid cancer with bilateral cervical lymph nodes metastases.
Methods: Twenty-four papillary thyroid cancer patients (mean age 16.6 year-old, range 11 to 20 year-old) with bilateral cervical metastases from January 1, 1970 to December 31, 1985 were analyzed.
Results: The proportion of the patients in the contemporary patients of the corresponding period was 34.8% (24/69). All the patients in the group were followed up at least 20 years. The survival rates of the patients at 10 years and 20 years were 100% and 90.9%. The recurrence rates of local tumor and distant tumor (lung metastases) were 20.8% (5/24) and 12.5% (3/24).
Conclusion: After a radical surgery, the recurrence rate of young adult thyroid papillary cancer patients with bilateral cervical metastases is relatively high and the patients have well prognosis.