Early Outcomes of Thermal Ablation for Low-Risk Papillary Thyroid Cancer: A Multicenter Study from Latin American Interventional Thyroidology Association (LAITA)
Authors' conclusion
RFA demonstrates excellent efficacy and acceptable safety for T1a low-risk PTC in Latin American patients, with outcomes comparable with other series, supporting it as a viable alternative to surgery or active surveillance in selected patients. Efficacy for T1b tumors was lower and based on a small number of cases
Study context
- Population
- Patients with low-risk papillary thyroid cancer (PTC) (T1N0M0, ≤2 cm), 12 centers in 6 Latin American countries, January 2019 to June 2025; median age 45.5 years, 74.2% female252 tumors
- Participants
- 251 patients
- Outcome
- Complete tumor disappearance, disease progression and complications
- Follow-up
- Median 18 months (IQR 12-24, range 12-72)
Methodological detailsmulticenter
- Multicenter
Main finding
As reported in the abstract
Complete tumor disappearance (overall); disease progression
- Complete tumor disappearance, overall
- 89.7% (226/252)
- Complete tumor disappearance, tumors with ≥18 months of follow-up
- 97.0%
- Complete tumor disappearance, tumors with ≥36 months of follow-up
- 100%
- Tumor persistence at last follow-up
- 10.3% (26/252)
- Lymph node or distant metastases
- 0
Observational data: associations, not effects.
Further findings
Factors associated with complete tumor disappearance (multivariable analysis)
| Adjusted OR (CI) | ||
|---|---|---|
| Tumor size >10 mm | 0.23 (0.07–0.78) | |
| Follow-up >12 months | 11.33 (3.61–35.6) | |
| 0.050.21520Adjusted odds ratio (log scale) |
Operator volume and complete disappearance
- Possible association between higher general operator volume (≥250 radiofrequency ablation (RFA) procedures) and complete disappearance
- Post hoc analysis
Safety
Overall complication rate
- Overall complications, all transient dysphonia
- 2.4% (6/252)
Original publication
Early Outcomes of Thermal Ablation for Low-Risk Papillary Thyroid Cancer: A Multicenter Study from Latin American Interventional Thyroidology Association (LAITA). Thyroid. Published 6 August 2026. doi:10.
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