BACKGROUND: Thyroid carcinoma in patients younger than 18 years is rare. It is associated with a greater risk of metastases. However, the prognosis for these patients is better when compared with that of adults. OBJECTIVE: To present the experience of a single institution in the treatment of patients with thyroid carcinoma during childhood and adolescence. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Thirty-eight patients, ranging in age from 4 to 18 years, were diagnosed as having thyroid carcinoma. Pathologic types of carcinoma included 29 papillary, 4 follicular, 1 Hürthle cell, and 4 medullary cases. RESULTS: Hypocalcemia was the main complication, being transitory in 9 patients (24%) and permanent in 6 patients (16%). Vocal cord palsy occurred in 2 patients (5%). Two patients (5%) had a surgical site infection. After a mean follow-up of 9.5 years (range, 1-40 years), 28 patients (74%) were alive and had no evidence of disease, 3 (8%) were alive and had recurrent disease, 4 (11%) died (2 of the disease and 2 of non-cancer-related causes), and 3 (8%) were lost to follow-up. The survival rates at 10 years for the patients with papillary, follicular, and medullary carcinoma were 93%, 100%, and 50%, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: Thyroid carcinoma in patients younger than 18 years has a good prognosis even in the presence of neck or distant metastasis. Total thyroidectomy, associated with adjuvant radioactive iodine therapy and thyroidal suppression or not, is effective in patients with a well-differentiated thyroid carcinoma.
BACKGROUND:Thyroid carcinoma in patients younger than 18 years is rare. It is associated with a greater risk of metastases. However, the prognosis for these patients is better when compared with that of adults. OBJECTIVE: To present the experience of a single institution in the treatment of patients with thyroid carcinoma during childhood and adolescence. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Thirty-eight patients, ranging in age from 4 to 18 years, were diagnosed as having thyroid carcinoma. Pathologic types of carcinoma included 29 papillary, 4 follicular, 1 Hürthle cell, and 4 medullary cases. RESULTS:Hypocalcemia was the main complication, being transitory in 9 patients (24%) and permanent in 6 patients (16%). Vocal cord palsy occurred in 2 patients (5%). Two patients (5%) had a surgical site infection. After a mean follow-up of 9.5 years (range, 1-40 years), 28 patients (74%) were alive and had no evidence of disease, 3 (8%) were alive and had recurrent disease, 4 (11%) died (2 of the disease and 2 of non-cancer-related causes), and 3 (8%) were lost to follow-up. The survival rates at 10 years for the patients with papillary, follicular, and medullary carcinoma were 93%, 100%, and 50%, respectively. CONCLUSIONS:Thyroid carcinoma in patients younger than 18 years has a good prognosis even in the presence of neck or distant metastasis. Total thyroidectomy, associated with adjuvant radioactive iodine therapy and thyroidal suppression or not, is effective in patients with a well-differentiated thyroid carcinoma.
Authors: Gary L Francis; Steven G Waguespack; Andrew J Bauer; Peter Angelos; Salvatore Benvenga; Janete M Cerutti; Catherine A Dinauer; Jill Hamilton; Ian D Hay; Markus Luster; Marguerite T Parisi; Marianna Rachmiel; Geoffrey B Thompson; Shunichi Yamashita Journal: Thyroid Date: 2015-07 Impact factor: 6.568
Authors: Scott A Rivkees; Ernest L Mazzaferri; Frederik A Verburg; Christoph Reiners; Markus Luster; Christopher K Breuer; Catherine A Dinauer; Robert Udelsman Journal: Endocr Rev Date: 2011-08-31 Impact factor: 19.871
Authors: Ian D Hay; Tomas Gonzalez-Losada; Megan S Reinalda; Jennifer A Honetschlager; Melanie L Richards; Geoffrey B Thompson Journal: World J Surg Date: 2010-06 Impact factor: 3.352
Authors: René Scheiden; Marc Keipes; Carlo Bock; Walter Dippel; Nelly Kieffer; Catherine Capesius Journal: BMC Cancer Date: 2006-04-24 Impact factor: 4.430
Authors: L A Jonker; C A Lebbink; M C J Jongmans; R A J Nievelstein; J H M Merks; E J M Nieveen van Dijkum; T P Links; N Hoogerbrugge; A S P van Trotsenburg; H M van Santen Journal: Eur Thyroid J Date: 2020-07-28