Search

Background: Differentiated thyroid carcinoma (DTC), mainly papillary (PTC), at low risk of recurrence is currently managed with active surveillance strategies or less aggressive surgeries. However, total thyroidectomy with 131I treatment is still performed both if these tumors are diagnosed before or occasionally after surgery. This real-life study aimed to evaluate the rate of biochemical, structural, and functional events in a large series of consecutive DTCs at low risk of recurrence treated by total thyroidectomy, but not with 131I, in a medium–long-term follow-up. Patients and Methods: We evaluated clinical–pathologic data of 383 consecutive patients (2006–2012) with unifocal DTC [T1a/b(s)] at low risk of recurrence, treated with total thyroidectomy but without lymph node dissection and 131I treatment after surgery. We evaluated if structural, biochemical, and functional events were detected during the follow-up. Results: Females accounted for 75.7% of our study group, and the median age was 50 years. The median tumor dimension was 0.4 cm (range 0.1–1.2). Most of the patients had a unifocal T1a tumor (98.9%), and 73.6% had a classic variant of PTC. We divided the patients according to the absence (group A—n = 276) or presence (group B—n = 107) of interfering TgAb at first control after surgery. After a median follow-up of 10 years, no structural events were detected. Sixteen out of three hundred and eighty-three (4.2%) patients developed biochemical events: 12/276 (4.3%) in group A and 4/107 (3.7%) in group B. The median time elapsed from surgery to detecting a biochemical event was 14.5 and 77.5 months in groups A and B, respectively. No patients performed additional treatments and were followed up with an active surveillance strategy. Conclusions: This study confirmed that patients with DTC at low risk of recurrence showed an excellent outcome in a medium long-term follow-up since no structural events were diagnosed. Significant variations in Tg/TgAb were detected in a few cases, all managed with an active surveillance strategy without the need for other treatments. Therefore, a relaxed follow-up with neck ultrasound and Tg/TgAb measurement is enough to early identify those very unusual cases of recurrence. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Thyroid nodules in pediatric patients are less common than in adults but show a higher malignancy rate. Accordingly, the management of thyroid nodules in pediatric patients is more complex the younger the patient is, needing careful evaluation by physicians. In adult patients, specific ultrasound (US) features have been associated with an increased risk of malignancy (ROM) in thyroid nodules. Moreover, several US risk stratification systems (RSSs) combining the US features of the nodule were built to define the ROM. RSSs are developed for the adult population and their use has not been fully validated in pediatric patients. This study aimed to evaluate the available data about US features of thyroid nodules in pediatric patients and to provide a summary of the evidence regarding the performance of RSS in predicting malignancy. Moreover, insights into the management of thyroid nodules in pediatric patients will be provided. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Currently, the differentiated thyroid cancer (DTC) management is shifted toward a tailored approach based on the estimated risks of recurrence and diseasespecific mortality. While the current recommendations on the management of metastatic and progressive DTC are clear and unambiguous, the management of slowly progressive or indeterminate disease varies according to different centers and different physicians. In this context, active surveillance (AS) becomes the main tool for clinicians, allowing them to plan a personalized therapeutic strategy, based on the risk of an unfavorable prognosis, and to avoid unnecessary treatment. This review analyzes the main possible scenarios in treated DTC patients who could take advantage of AS. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: The aim of this study was to assess the clinical impact of hand-foot syndrome (HFS) during treatment with two multikinase inhibitors, sorafenib and lenvatinib, in a large group of patients with advanced thyroid cancer. Moreover, we looked for possible associations between HFS occurrence and clinical and pathological features., Methods: We retrospectively evaluated 239 patients with advanced thyroid cancer: 165 treated with lenvatinib and 74 with sorafenib. Statistical analyses were performed to verify which features could be correlated with HFS development., Results: HFS was observed in 35/74 (47.4%) and in 43/165 (26.7%) patients treated with sorafenib or lenvatinib, respectively. The median latency from the drug beginning and HFS appearance was 27 days for sorafenib and 2.9 months for lenvatinib. G3/G4 toxicity was observed in 16/35 (45.7%) patients treated with sorafenib and only in 3/43 (7%) treated with lenvatinib. Drug dose reduction due to HFS was required in 19/74 (25.7%) and 3/165 (1.8%) patients treated with sorafenib and lenvatinib, respectively. HFS occurrence was significantly associated with a longer duration of therapy in both groups., Conclusion: HFS was a frequent adverse event during both lenvatinib and sorafenib therapy, with a higher frequency and toxicity grade during sorafenib treatment. HFS was the most frequent reason for drug reduction or discontinuation in patient treated with sorafenib. Early diagnosis of HFS is important to allow early intervention, possibly in a multidisciplinary setting, and to avoid treatment discontinuation, which is highly relevant to obtain the maximum effectiveness of systemic therapy.