Clinical Characteristics and Outcomes of Clinically Detected Versus Imaging-Detected Incidental Thyroid Cancer
Authors' conclusion
Clinically and imaging-detected thyroid cancers differ in clinicopathological profiles but show comparable long-term outcomes. These results suggest that early detection of thyroid cancer through imaging may not necessarily translate into a more favorable prognosis under risk-stratified management.
Study context
- Population
- Patients who underwent thyroidectomy for thyroid cancer at a tertiary referral center, 2010–2011
- Participants
- 384 patients
- Exposure
- Imaging-detected vs clinically detected thyroid cancer
- Imaging-detectedn = 98
- Clinically detectedn = 286reference
- Outcome
- Recurrence-free, disease-specific and overall survival
- Follow-up
- 5 and 10 years
Methodological detailssingle-centre, tertiary referral center
- Single-centre
- Tertiary referral center
Main finding
As reported in the abstract
- Five- and 10-year recurrence-free, disease-specific and overall survival did not differ significantly between groups
- Kaplan-Meier estimates
Observational data: associations, not effects.
Further findings
Clinicopathological features of imaging-detected cases
- Imaging-detected cases had smaller tumors, less extensive surgery and RAI, lower nonstimulated Tg and more favorable initial responses
Predictors of imaging detection (multivariable analysis)
- Tumor size, inversely associated
- P < 0.001
- Lymph node metastasis, inversely associated
- P = 0.039
- Bethesda category VI cytology, positive predictor
- P = 0.001
Predictors of recurrence (multivariable Cox analysis)
- Age
- P < 0.001
- Multifocality
- P = 0.033
- Lateral neck metastasis
- P = 0.003
- High risk of structural recurrence
- P = 0.004
Original publication
Clinical Characteristics and Outcomes of Clinically Detected Versus Imaging-Detected Incidental Thyroid Cancer. Endocr Pract. Published 11 February 2026. doi:10.
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