How Many Lymph Nodes Are Enough? Assessing the Adequacy of Lymph Node Yield for Papillary Thyroid Cancer [Surgical Oncology]

Conclusion To our knowledge, our study provides the first empirically based estimates of occult nodal disease risk in patients after surgery for papillary thyroid cancer as a function of primary tumor stage and number of LNs examined. Our estimates provide an objective guideline for evaluating adequacy of LN yield for surgeons and pathologists in the treatment of papillary thyroid cancer, and especially intermediate-risk disease, for which use of adjuvant radioactive iodine and surveillance intensity are not currently standardized.
Source: Journal of Clinical Oncology - Category: Cancer & Oncology Authors: Tags: Bioinformatics, Prognostic Studies, Diagnosis & Staging, Surgery, Diagnosis & Staging, Surgery Surgical Oncology Source Type: research