A Prospective Clinical Trial of Radiofrequency Ablation in Patients with Low-Risk Unifocal Papillary Thyroid Microcarcinoma Favoring Active Surveillance Over Surgery
Authors' conclusion
RFA can be a reasonable strategy for effectively and safely controlling tumors and improving QoL in non-elderly patients with low-risk PTMC appropriate for AS.
Study context
- Population
- Adults aged ≤60 years with low-risk unifocal papillary thyroid microcarcinomas (PTMC) favoring active surveillance over immediate surgery; single tertiary referral hospital, 2018–2021; median age 42 years, 83% femaleof 227 eligible
- Participants
- 100 adults
- Outcome
- Disease progression rate
Methodological detailssingle-centre, single-arm
- Single-centre
- Single-arm
Main finding
As reported in the abstract
Cumulative disease progression rate (patients with ≥1-year follow-up) · median follow-up 30 months (range, 12-56 months)
Radiofrequency ablation (RFA)
3.1%
3
- Lymph node metastasis (treated with surgery)
- 1 patient
- New PTMC (1 treated with RFA, 1 ongoing active surveillance (AS))
- 2 patients
Observational data: associations, not effects.
Secondary outcomes
| Outcome | Values |
|---|---|
| Complete disappearance of ablation zone · last follow-up | RFA 95.9% (CI 77.5–100.0) |
| VRR · 1-year follow-upPersisted throughout the last follow-up | RFA median 100.0 % |
- Complete disappearance of ablation zone: 94/98
Technical success
- All 100 patients underwent RFA with technical success
Quality of life (QoL) scores, baseline vs last follow-up
- Psychological QoL, baseline vs last follow-up (p = 0.002)
- 7.3 vs. 8.0
- Social QoL, baseline vs last follow-up (p = 0.005)
- 8.0 vs. 8.7
- Physical QoL, baseline vs last follow-up (p = 0.99)
- 8.6 vs. 8.5
Safety
- Major complications were not observed
Original publication
A Prospective Clinical Trial of Radiofrequency Ablation in Patients with Low-Risk Unifocal Papillary Thyroid Microcarcinoma Favoring Active Surveillance Over Surgery. Thyroid. Published 17 September 2024. doi:10.
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