Long-Term Outcomes of Patients Diagnosed With Differentiated Thyroid Cancer in Childhood and Young Adulthood
Authors' conclusion
Patients diagnosed with DTC as children or young adults have outstanding long-term survivorship, but may experience disease progression later in life, suggesting that long-term follow-up might be appropriate for this population. Younger age at diagnosis was identified as a risk factor for distant metastases and poorer response to therapy.
Study context
- Population
- Patients diagnosed with differentiated thyroid cancer (DTC) at age 20 years or younger; median age at diagnosis 17 years (9–20 years)
- Participants
- 155 patients
- Outcome
- Long-term outcomes:
- Response to therapy
- Disease-specific mortality
- Follow-up
- Last
Methodological detailslong-term follow-up
- Long-term follow-up
Main finding
As reported in the abstract
Outcomes at last follow-up · median follow-up 16 years (1-63 years)
Excellent response
52.3%
Disease-specific mortality
0%
Observational data: associations, not effects.
Further findings
Distant metastasis and larger tumor size vs age at diagnosis
- Inversely related to age at diagnosis; overall stage
- P = 0.045
- Inversely related to age at diagnosis; T-stage
- P = 0.001
Response to therapy by histologic subtype, birth sex and age
- Younger age at diagnosis associated with worse response
- P = 0.046
- No difference by histologic subtype or birth sex
Patients with >50 years of follow-up (n = 9)
- Median years of stability
- 36
- Progression
- 6 out of 9 (67%)
Original publication
Long-Term Outcomes of Patients Diagnosed With Differentiated Thyroid Cancer in Childhood and Young Adulthood. J Clin Endocrinol Metab. Published 18 September 2025. doi:10.
Composed by AI from the published abstract and checked against it. How Briefs are made →