Background: Invasive thyroid cancer is rare, and the extent of surgery controversial. The purpose of this study was to present and evaluate therapeutic prognostic factors.
Methods: We conducted a retrospective single-center study of differentiated thyroid carcinoma invading the larynx, trachea, and/or esophagus treated surgically with macroscopic complete resection.
Results: Forty-six patients (average age, 57 years; average follow-up, 4 years) were included. Free margins (R0) were obtained for 22 of 46 (49%) and microscopic residual tumor was present after surgery (R1) for 24 (51%). Ten-year actuarial local control was 100% for R0 and 75% for R1 (p = .08). Five-year local control was lower for recurrent tumors versus inaugurally invasive disease (63% vs 87%; log-rank p = .011). Five-year and 10-year actuarial disease-specific survival (DSS) was correlated with preoperative distant metastases (100% and 87%, respectively, for M0 vs 68% and 34% for M1; p = .01).
Conclusion: A trend toward lower local control was observed for R1 versus R0. The morbidity of surgery should be weighed against the prognosis if metastases are present.
Keywords: cancer; larynx; margins; thyroid; trachea.
Copyright © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.