Thyroid Ultrasound Screening in Childhood Cancer Survivors following Radiotherapy
Authors' conclusion
Thyroid US surveillance may be beneficial for CCS exposed to RT at younger ages (≤10 years) for earlier detection of DTC, prior to developing advanced metastatic disease.
Study context
- Population
- Childhood cancer survivors (CCS) exposed to radiotherapy, surveilled with thyroid ultrasound (US) 2002–2021
- Participants
- 306 survivors
- Exposure
- ≤3 years vs >3 to ≤10 years vs >10 years
- Outcome
- Outcome of thyroid US surveillance:
- Thyroid nodules
- DTC
Main finding
As reported in the abstract
Thyroid US surveillance outcomes
- Patients with thyroid nodule(s)
- About 49% (n = 150)
- Underwent surgery
- 44
- Differentiated thyroid cancer (DTC)
- 28
- DTC, American Thyroid Association (ATA) low-risk
- 19
- DTC, ATA intermediate-risk
- 2
- DTC, ATA high-risk
- 7
- Intermediate- or high-risk disease (n=9): ≤10 years at radiotherapy (RT)
- 8
- Intermediate- or high-risk disease (n=9): >10 years at RT
- 1
Observational data: associations, not effects.
Further findings
Risk factors for nodule presentation (multivariate logistic regression)
- Female sex, OR [95% CI]
- 1.62 [1.13-2.12] p = 0.054
- Greater interval between RT and first US, OR [95% CI]
- 1.10 [1.04-1.16] p = 0.001
- Independent risk factors
Age cutpoint analyses
- Cutpoints identified (years)
- 3 and 10
Original publication
Thyroid Ultrasound Screening in Childhood Cancer Survivors following Radiotherapy. Horm Res Paediatr. Published 18 September 2023. doi:10.
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