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OBJECTIVES:: Familial non-medullary thyroid cancer (FNMTC) is a newly recognized disease entity and can be distinguished from the more common sporadic non-medullary thyroid cancer. The purpose of this study was to determine some of the potential distinguishing features of FNMTC.STUDY DESIGN:: Retrospective association study and matched-case control study.METHODS:: Five hundred forty-three cases of well-differentiated follicular origin thyroid cancers were identified and collected in a database. Among this population, 24 cases of FNMTC were identified. A case of FNMTC was defined as a patient with the following two criteria: a well-differentiated follicular origin thyroid cancer and at least one first-degree relative with a well-differentiated epithelial origin thyroid cancer. The unmatched sporadic and FNMTC groups were compared using t test, Phi test, Cramer V test, and Pearson and Spearman correlation tests. Twenty-four FNMTC cases were matched to 24 sporadic cases based on age, gender, stage of disease at presentation, and tumor size. Clinicopathologic features, management, and outcome were analyzed statistically using a matched-proportional z test. Disease-free survival and disease-specific survival were analyzed using log-rank test and the Kaplan-Meier function. A P-value less than .05 was considered statistically significant.RESULTS:: There was no significant difference in ionizing radiation exposure, disease multifocality, surgical management, or recurrence between the sporadic and FNMTC patients. Although FNMTC patients tend to have improved disease-free survival and disease-specific survival, the difference was not significant at the 5% level.CONCLUSION:: Although FNMTC is characterized by strong family history, these patients do not tend to have worse prognosis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

SUMMARY: OBJECTIVES/HYPOTHESIS The objective was to compare the rate and site of recurrences in patients with well-differentiated thyroid carcinoma who underwent a central compartment dissection, a posterolateral neck dissection, or a combination of both procedures.STUDY DESIGN Retrospective chart review.METHODS The charts of 522 consecutive patients with well-differentiated thyroid carcinoma were reviewed, and 74 patients who had undergone a neck dissection were identified. The rates of recurrence in three sites were noted: the central compartment nodes (levels VI, superior mediastinum), posterolateral compartment neck nodes (levels II-V), and distant sites. These rates were compared in patients who underwent a central compartment dissection (level VI, superior mediastinum) and in patients who underwent a posterolateral neck dissection (levels II-V).RESULTS Six patients underwent only a central compartment dissection, 47 patients had only a posterolateral neck dissection, and 21 patients had both a central compartment and a posterolateral neck dissection. In these three groups there were zero, two, and two central compartment node recurrences; two, nine, and seven posterolateral neck recurrences; and zero, two, and three distant recurrences, respectively. There were no significant differences in the rate of recurrence in any of the three sites examined between any of the three treatment groups (Fisher's Exact test, all P values > .20).CONCLUSION In patients with well-differentiated thyroid carcinoma, dissection of only the central or posterolateral compartments of the neck with clinical or radiographic evidence of disease is advocated. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]