Microwave ablation on par with surgery for thyroid cancer survival

Microwave ablation may be a suitable alternative to surgical resection when it comes to ultrasound-detected thyroid cancer, a study published April 2 in Radiology found. Researchers led by Zhen-Long Zhao, MD, from China-Japan Friendship Hospital in Beijing found no significant difference in progression-free survival rates between patients receiving ablation or surgery. Additionally, microwave ablation led to less blood loss, shorter incision length, and shorter procedure and hospitalization durations. “Microwave ablation is a feasible option for selected patients with multifocal T1N0M0 papillary thyroid carcinoma,” Zhao and colleagues wrote. Microwave ablation has shown promise in previous studies for treating multifocal papillary thyroid carcinoma. The researchers highlighted that this method is minimally invasive and could spare healthy thyroid tissue. However, they also acknowledged that comparative studies are needed to measure microwave ablation’s efficacy against that of surgical resection. The Zhao team compared both methods for preoperative ultrasound-detected T1N0M0 multifocal papillary thyroid carcinoma in terms of overall and one-, three-, and five-year progression-free survival rates and complication rates. It included retrospective data from 682 patients in 10 medical centers who received treatment between 2015 and 2021.Ultrasound images in a 57-year-old female patient with multifocal papillary thyroid carcinoma. (A) Routine ultrasound scan shows two hy...
Source: AuntMinnie.com Headlines - Category: Radiology Authors: Tags: Ultrasound Source Type: news