Lobectomy in patients with differentiated thyroid cancer: experience of a Chilean tertiary center

Endocrine. 2024 Nov;86(2):692-698. doi: 10.1007/s12020-024-03905-1. Epub 2024 Jun 14.

Abstract

Purpose: Thyroid lobectomy (TL) is an appropriate treatment for up to 4 cm intrathyroidal differentiated thyroid cancer (DTC). There is scarce data regarding TL outside first-world centers. Our aim is to report a cohort of patients with DTC treated with TL in Chile.

Methods: We included DTC patients treated with TL, followed for at least 6 months, characterized their clinicopathological features and classified their risk of recurrence and response to treatment.

Results: Eighty-two patients followed for a median of 2.3 years (0.5-7.0). Seventy-three (89%) patients had papillary, 8 (9.8%) follicular and 1 (1.2%) high-grade DTC. The risk of recurrence was low in 56 (68.3%) and intermediate in 26 (31.7%). Eight (9.8%) patients required early completion thyroidectomy and radioiodine. At last follow-up, 52 (70.3%) had excellent, 19 (25.7%) had indeterminate, and 1 (1.4%) had structural incomplete response.

Conclusion: In a developing country, TL is an adequate option for appropriately selected DTC patients.

Keywords: Anti thyroglobulin antibodies; Lobectomy; Personalized medicine; Quality of Life; Thyroid cancer.

MeSH terms

  • Adenocarcinoma, Follicular / pathology
  • Adenocarcinoma, Follicular / radiotherapy
  • Adenocarcinoma, Follicular / surgery
  • Adolescent
  • Adult
  • Aged
  • Carcinoma, Papillary / pathology
  • Carcinoma, Papillary / surgery
  • Chile / epidemiology
  • Female
  • Follow-Up Studies
  • Humans
  • Iodine Radioisotopes / therapeutic use
  • Male
  • Middle Aged
  • Neoplasm Recurrence, Local / epidemiology
  • Retrospective Studies
  • Tertiary Care Centers
  • Thyroid Neoplasms* / pathology
  • Thyroid Neoplasms* / radiotherapy
  • Thyroid Neoplasms* / surgery
  • Thyroidectomy* / methods
  • Treatment Outcome
  • Young Adult

Substances

  • Iodine Radioisotopes