Thyroid cancer presentation and treatment in the United States.

Abstract

Thyroid cancer incidence is rising in the United States. Although overall thyroid cancer survival is high, prognostic stratification schemes have been developed to better delineate patients with poor prognoses. A random sample that included 1,003 adult papillary thyroid cancer patients diagnosed in 2006 and reported to the National Cancer Institute's Surveillance Epidemiology and End Results (SEER) program had their medical records re-abstracted and additional risk factor data collected. The distribution of patient demographics, medical histories, tumor characteristics and treatment modalities were assessed. Logistic regression was used to assess factors associated with total thyroidectomy (total, subtotal or near total) and radioiodine therapy. All analyses were conducted stratified by the Age, Metastases, Extent and Size (AMES) low/high-risk classification. Receipt of total thyroidectomy was associated with family history of thyroid disease/cancer and larger tumor size among low-risk patients and smaller tumor size among high-risk patients. Among low-risk patients, the receipt of radioiodine was associated with family history of thyroid disease/cancer, larger tumor size, total thyroidectomy, and positive lymph nodes. Among high-risk patients, the receipt of radioiodine was associated with intermediate tumor and hospital sizes. This study provides insight into the patterns of papillary thyroid cancer care in the general population. The findings from this study indicate adherence to guideline recommendations in that family history of thyroid disease/cancer, in addition to tumor characteristics, does appear to inform treatment practices, especially among low-risk patients.