Results:
Table 1 shows continuous variables of patient characteristics with metastatic differentiated thyroid cancers
Of the 32 patients with metastatic differentiated thyroid cancer available for final analysis, 59% were females (N=19). The median age of the entire study population was 55 years (17-79 years))
Metastatic sites were identified in the thorax (lungs and mediastinum), bones (vertebra, femur, skull, clavicle, manubrium sterni and iliac bones) and brain. Twenty four patients (75%) had single site metastasis. Metastases were detected at multiple sites in eight patients (25%). Lung and mediastinal metastases were seen in 56% and bone metastases were seen in 53% patients either singly or in combination. One patient had brain metastasis.
Notably, a majority of patients (N=20, 63%) had undergone some form of treatment before they were referred to the study centre. Six patients were diagnosed with thyroid cancer after histopathology following surgery to the spine. Four patients had incomplete surgery on the thyroid with our without any intervention for the metastatic disease and one patient had complete surgery for the thyroid but was referred for the care of metastatic disease. The metastatic site was addressed by surgery (metastasectomy) in 44% (N=14). The most common intervention performed was debulking with fixation of the spine which was noted in 15% (N=5). In the remaining 18 patients, the thyroid was ablated with or without a neck dissection and metastatic disease was addressed using radioactive iodine. The majority of cases were diagnosed histologically as papillary thyroid carcinoma (62.5%, N=20).
Table 2 shows categorical variables of patient characteristics with metastatic differentiated thyroid cancers