Open AccessPrognosis of small thyroid cancer in patients with Graves' disease
Author(s) -
Kikuchi S.,
Noguchi S.,
Yamashita H.,
Uchino S.,
Kawamoto H.
Publication year - 2006
Publication title -
british journal of surgery
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 2.202
H-Index - 201
eISSN - 1365-2168
pISSN - 0007-1323
DOI - 10.1002/bjs.5279
Subject(s) - medicine , graves' disease , concomitant , thyroidectomy , thyroid cancer , disease , hazard ratio , surgery , thyroid , proportional hazards model , gastroenterology , confidence interval
Background: To find the best ways to follow up patients with small thyroid cancer (STC; 1 cm or less in diameter) and concomitant Graves' disease, this study examined whether such patients had the same excellent prognosis as those with STC without Graves' disease. Methods: Between 1970 and 1996, 2199 patients were diagnosed as having STC by pathology after thyroidectomy. Of those, 509 patients (33 males and 476 females, mean age 43·5 years) underwent thyroidectomy for Graves' disease. Control patients with STC without Graves' disease were matched for age, sex, treatment year and tumour size (33 males and 476 females, mean age 44·0 years). Results: Patients with STC and Graves' disease had a longer disease‐free survival than those with STC alone (99 and 93 per cent at 20 years' follow‐up, respectively; P < 0·001). The Cox's proportional hazard analysis showed that concomitant Graves' disease and age at surgery are more significant factors for predicting disease‐free survival than surgical procedures. Conclusion: Patients who undergo thyroidectomy for Graves' disease and are found to have STC have an excellent prognosis and longer disease‐free survival than patients with STC alone. Copyright © 2006 British Journal of Surgery Society Ltd. Published by John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.