Pulmonary metastases in children and adolescents with papillary thyroid cancer in China: prognostic factors and outcomes from treatment with 131I

The Prognostic Power of Preablation Stimulated Thyroglobulin in Children With Differentiated Thyroid Cancer

OBJECTIVE

To analyze prognostic factors in children with differentiated thyroid carcinoma (DTC) who have been treated in a single center in the last 27 years.

METHODS

We studied 126 children (≤18 years old) who have been treated with near-total thyroidectomy followed by radioiodine therapy and thyroid hormone replacement. Follow-up of the patients was done 2, 6, and 12 months after treatment and then by yearly evaluation. Response to treatment was defined according to the American Thyroid Association guidelines.

RESULTS

Papillary thyroid cancer was the main pathology (93.7%), and 52.4% of the patients had lymph node metastasis at presentation, which was extensive (>5) in 30% of the patients. Distant metastasis was seen in 8.8%. The mean initial dose of I-131 was 74 ± 42.2 MBq/kg. The median follow-up was 59 months and the median time to achieve an excellent response was 29 months. The preablation stimulated thyroglobulin (psTg) level was 202.4 ± 301.8 ng/mL in patients with first-year incomplete response compared with 11.2 ± 17.5 ng/mL in others (P =.001). Furthermore, using logistic regression, the psTg level was found to be the only significant predictor of distant metastasis, and psTg ≥ 13.75 ng/mL was the most powerful predictor of first-year incomplete response. Moreover, distant metastasis was more common in boys than in girls, and it took longer time for boys to achieve an excellent response.

CONCLUSION

The psTg level was the only significant predictor of distant metastases in children with DTC, and psTg ≥ 13.75 ng/mL was the most powerful predictor of first-year incomplete response.

Impact of lateral cervical lymph node metastasis on lung metastasis in pediatric thyroid cancer: A correlation study

BACKGROUND

Thyroid cancer (TC) frequently manifests with lung metastases in the pediatric population, occurring at a significant rate of 30 %. This study aims to evaluate the impact of regional patterns of cervical lymph node metastases on lung metastases in pediatric TC.

METHODS

Retrospective analysis was conducted on data from pediatric TC patients spanning the years 2000 to 2018. We compared the rates of lymph node metastasis (LNR), the number of lymph node metastases, and the number of dissected lymph nodes in the central and lateral cervical regions between patients with and without lung metastases. Statistical methods were employed to adjust for confounders during hypothesis testing.

RESULTS

A total of 227 pediatric patients, with a median age of 15.12 ± 2.84 years, were included in the study. Of these, 202 (89 %) exhibited LN metastasis, with 40(17.62 %) patients presenting with lung metastasis. Patients with lung metastases were found to be younger (13.40 ± 3.11 vs. 15.50 ± 2.64, p < 0.001), had larger primary tumor diameters (3.49 ± 1.98 vs. 2.31 ± 1.45, p < 0.001), and exhibited a higher number of lymph node metastases (23.40 ± 10.75 vs. 14.65 ± 13.16, p < 0.001). Notably, in patients with LN metastases, the presence of >12 lateral cervical lymph node metastases emerged as a significant risk factor for lung metastases. Among children with metachronous lung metastases, the median time to detection of lung metastases was 43 (12-132) months, and they appeared to receive a greater proportion of radioactive iodine (RAI) treatment compared to those with synchronous lung metastases.

CONCLUSION

Lateral cervical lymph node metastasis independently predicts the likelihood of lung metastases in pediatric TC. Furthermore, our findings emphasize the importance of thorough examination of the lungs during follow-up, particularly when the number of metastatic lateral cervical lymph nodes exceeds 12.

Risk factors for recurrence of differentiated thyroid carcinoma in children and adolescents: A retrospective cohort study

This study aimed to provide a recent clinical evaluation of the outcome of treatment and the predictors of recurrence for Chinese children and adolescents with differentiated thyroid carcinoma (DTC). This is a retrospective cohort study at the Yunnan Cancer Hospital from May 2002 to August 2021. We analyzed several risk factors related to the recurrence of DTC in children and adolescents. The Chi-square test, Kaplan-Meier log-rank tests, and Cox regression analysis were used in the statistical analysis. A P-value <.05 was considered statistically significant. A total of 103 patients were enrolled, including 68 girls (66.0%) and 35 boys (34.0%) with a median age of 18 years (range: 7-20 years). All enrolled patients received standard treatment. Children (≤14years) tended to have multifocality and higher levels of thyroid imaging reporting and data system, higher pN stage, and higher American Thyroid Association (ATA) pediatric risk compared with adolescents (P < .05). The chief complaints and clinical treatment differed between children and adolescents. During a follow-up of 6 to 239 months (average 74.7 months, median 59 months), all patients survived, but recurrence occurred in 22 patients (22.4%). The disease-free survival rates at 1, 2, 5, and 10 years were 91.2%, 78.4%, 77.1%, and 77.1%, respectively. Univariate Cox regression and log-rank tests showed that positive preoperative thyroglobulin level, bilaterality, extrathyroidal extension, high pT/pN/pM stage, and high ATA pediatric risk were the risk factors for DTC recurrence in children and adolescents. Multivariate Cox regression found that extrathyroidal extension and ATA pediatric risk were independent risk factors for the recurrence of DTC in children and adolescents. Additionally, among the 38 cases with cN0 stage, one who had bilateral, and multifocal thyroid nodules experienced recurrence, while the remaining 37 cases with cN0 stage had no recurrence. In conclusion, compared with adolescents, children present with more highly malignant disease and are more prone to metastasis. The significant risk factors associated with the recurrence of DTC in children and adolescents were positive preoperative thyroglobulin level, bilaterality, high pT/pN/pM stage, extrathyroidal extension, and high ATA pediatric risk, with the latter 2 being independent risk factors. The surgical approach for cN0 patients should be personalized taking into account invasive features.

Predictive risk factors for distant metastasis in pediatric differentiated thyroid cancer from Saudi Arabia

Background

Despite their excellent prognosis, children and young adults (CAYA) with differentiated thyroid cancer (DTC) tend to have more frequent occurrence of distant metastasis (DM) compared to adult DTC. Data about DM in CAYA from Middle Eastern ethnicity is limited.

Methods

Medical records of 170 patients with DTC ≤18 years were retrospectively reviewed. Clinico-pathological factors associated with lung metastasis in CAYA, their clinical presentation and outcome were analyzed. Rick factors related to distant metastasis-free survival (DMFS) for the whole cohort were evaluated.

Results

DM was observed in 27 patients and all were lung metastasis. Lung metastasis was significantly associated with younger age (≤15 years), extrathyroidal extension (ETE), multifocal tumors, bilaterality, presence of lymph node (LN) disease and high post-operative stimulated thyroglobulin (sTg). Highest negative predictive values were seen with low post-operative sTg (97.9%), absence of LN disease (93.8%), absence of ETE (92.2%) and age older than 15 years (92.9%). Post-therapy whole body scan (WBS) identified most of the lung metastasis (21 of 27; 77.8%). Upon evaluating patients response according to ATA guidelines, excellent response was seen in only one patient, while biochemical persistence and structural persistence were seen in 11.1% (3/27) and 77.8% (21/27), respectively. Elevated post-operative sTg (>10ng/ml) was the only risk factor found to be significantly associated with both biochemical persistence (with or without structural persistence (p = 0.0143)) and structural persistence (p = 0.0433). Cox regression analysis identified age and post-operative sTg as independent risk factors related to DMFS. Based on these two risk factors for DMFS, patients were divided into 3 groups: low risk (no risk factors), intermediate risk (1 risk factor) and high risk (both risk factors). 20-year DMFS rates in the low-, intermediate- and high-risk groups were 100.0%, 81.3% and 23.7% respectively (p < 0.0001).

Conclusion

Higher suspicion for metastatic pediatric DTC should be considered in patients who are young, have LN disease, extrathyroidal extension and elevated post-operative sTg. Persistent disease, despite therapy, is very common and it appears to be related to post-operative sTg level. Hence, risk adaptive management is desirable in CAYA with DTC.

Radioactive Iodine-Refractory Pulmonary Metastases of Papillary Thyroid Cancer in Children, Adolescents, and Young Adults

CONTEXT

Few studies have explored radioactive iodine-refractory (RAIR) disease in children, adolescents, and young adults with papillary thyroid cancer (CAYA-PTC).

OBJECTIVE

This study systematically investigated the clinicopathologic characteristics and prognosis of CAYA-PTC with RAIR disease.

METHODS

Sixty-five patients with PTC aged ≤20 years were enrolled in this study, and all patients were confirmed to have pulmonary metastases. Clinicopathologic profiles were compared between the radioactive iodine-avid (RAIA) and RAIR groups. Univariate and multivariate regression analyses were performed to identify risk factors for RAIR status and progressive disease (PD). Gene alterations were detected in 17 patients.

RESULTS

Overall, 20 patients were included in the RAIR group, accounting for 30.8% (20/65) of all patients. No significant difference in pathologic characteristics was observed between patients aged <15 years and patients aged 15-20 years, but younger patients were more likely to develop RAIR disease (hazard ratio [HR] 3.500, 95% CI 1.134-10.803, P = .023). RET fusions were the most common genetic alterations in CAYA-PTC, but an association with RAIR disease was not detected (P = .210). RAIR disease (HR 10.008, 95% CI 2.427-41.268, P = .001) was identified as an independent predictor of PD. The Kaplan-Meier curve revealed a lower progression-free survival (PFS) and disease-specific survival (DSS) rate in the RAIR group than in the RAIA group (P < .001 and P = .039). Likewise, RAIR disease was a risk factor for unfavorable PFS in patients aged <15 years (P < .001).

CONCLUSION

RAIR disease occurs in one-third of CAYA-PTC with pulmonary metastases. Younger patients (aged < 15 years) are more susceptible to RAIR status, which leads to unfavorable PFS and DSS.

Fourteen years old as the best age cutoff to differentiate prepubertal from pubertal papillary thyroid carcinoma

BACKGROUND

It is unclear whether differences in clinical presentation and/or prognosis exist between prepubertal papillary thyroid cancer (PTC) and pubertal PTC. At present, there is a lack of definition for the appropriate cutoff age to define prepubertal PTC.

METHODS

This study retrospectively reviewed 227 pediatric PTC patients (aged ≤18 years) who underwent initial surgery from March 2000 to December 2018. The median duration of follow-up was 85 months (range, 8-258).

RESULTS

The age range was basically linearly related to multiple risk factors, such as T3-T4 disease, distant metastasis. Age (p = 0.032) was an independent risk factor for recurrence and persistent disease. Patients aged <14 years had obviously higher rates of extensive disease. The 10-year disease-free survival (DFS) rate of patients aged <14 years was 59.5% and that of patients aged ≥14 years was 82.6% (p = 0.004).

CONCLUSIONS

Fourteen years of age may be an appropriate cutoff to differentiate prepubertal PTC from pubertal PTC.

Long-term outcomes and prognostic factors in papillary thyroid microcarcinoma patients with distant metastases

PURPOSES

Distant metastasis from papillary thyroid microcarcinoma (PTMC) is extremely rare and the long-term outcomes and independent prognostic factors remain unclear. The present study aimed to investigate clinicopathological characteristics and evaluate the long-term outcomes and prognostic factors of PTMC patients with distant metastases (DM) who underwent surgery and radioactive iodine (¹³¹I) treatment.

METHODS

We retrospectively reviewed the medical records of 13,441 patients with thyroid cancer (including 1697 cases with PTMC) who underwent ¹³¹I treatment at our institution between January 2008 and December 2019. PTMC patients with distant metastases with sufficient clinical follow-up data were enrolled in this cohort study. The overall survival (OS) and progression-free survival (PFS) were analyzed by the Kaplan-Meier method and the prognostic factors were assessed by Cox proportional hazards.

RESULTS

Thirty-three PTMC patients with DM were enrolled in this study. The median follow-up was 75 months (range: 5-151 months). The 5-year and 10-year OS rates were 96.97 and 81.41%, respectively, and the 5-year and 10-year PFS rates were 90.46 and 69.68%, respectively. Multivariate analysis showed that male sex (P = 0.005), radioactive iodine refractory PTMC (P = 0.033), and symptomatic DM (P = 0.022) were significantly associated with worse 10-year PFS in PTMC patients with DM. No independent predictor related to poor 10-year OS was found in the present study.

CONCLUSIONS

The prognosis of PTMC patients becomes worse after the development of DM. Male sex, radioactive iodine refractory PTMC, and symptomatic DM were identified as independent factors associated with PFS.

Diverse Oncogenic Fusions and Distinct Gene Expression Patterns Define the Genomic Landscape of Pediatric Papillary Thyroid Carcinoma

Pediatric papillary thyroid carcinoma (PPTC) is clinically distinct from adult-onset disease. Although there are higher rates of metastasis and recurrence in PPTC, prognosis remains highly favorable. Molecular characterization of PPTC has been lacking. Historically, only 40% to 50% of childhood papillary thyroid carcinoma (PTC) were known to be driven by genomic variants common to adult PTC; oncogenic drivers in the remainder were unknown. This contrasts with approximately 90% of adult PTC driven by a discrete number of variants. In this study, 52 PPTCs underwent candidate gene testing, followed in a subset by whole-exome and transcriptome sequencing. Within these samples, candidate gene testing identified variants in 31 (60%) tumors, while exome and transcriptome sequencing identified oncogenic variants in 19 of 21 (90%) remaining tumors. The latter were enriched for oncogenic fusions, with 11 nonrecurrent fusion transcripts, including two previously undescribed fusions, STRN-RET and TG-PBF. Most fusions were associated with 3' receptor tyrosine kinase (RTK) moieties: RET, MET, ALK, and NTRK3. For advanced (distally metastatic) tumors, a driver variant was described in 91%. Gene expression analysis defined three clusters that demonstrated distinct expression of genes involved in thyroid differentiation and MAPK signaling. Among RET-CCDC6-driven tumors, gene expression in pediatric tumors was distinguishable from that in adults. Collectively, these results show that the genomic landscape of pediatric PTC is different from adult PTC. Moreover, they identify genomic drivers in 98% of PPTCs, predominantly oncogenic fusion transcripts involving RTKs, with a pronounced impact on gene expression. Notably, most advanced tumors were driven by a variant for which targeted systemic therapy exists. SIGNIFICANCE: This study highlights important distinctions between the genomes and transcriptomes of pediatric and adult papillary thyroid carcinoma, with implications for understanding the biology, diagnosis, and treatment of advanced disease in children.

The clinical significance of remnant thyroid tissue in thyroidectomized differentiated thyroid cancer patients on 131I-SPECT/CT

BACKGROUND

To explore the ¹³¹I-SPECT/CT characteristics of remnant thyroid tissue (RTT) in differentiated thyroid cancer (DTC), further assess the risk factors and clinical significance.

METHODS

52 DTC patients after total thyroidectomy had undergone neck ¹³¹I-SPECT/CT before ¹³¹I ablation. The diagnosis of RTT was based on SPECT/CT and follow-up at least 3 months. The anatomic locations and features of SPECT/CT of RTT were assessed by reviewers. The risk factors of RTT with CT positive were analyzed by the chi-square test.

RESULTS

A total of 80 lesions of RTT were diagnosed in this study, most of them were mainly located in the regions adjacent to trachea cartilage (37/80) or lamina of thyroid cartilage (17/80). On SPECT/CT of RTT, low, moderate and high uptake were respectively noted in 10, 24 and 46 lesions, definite positive, suspected positive and negative CT findings were respectively noted in 10, 21 and 49. The RTT lesions with definite positive CT findings were mainly located adjacent to lamina of thyroid cartilage (5/10). Primary thyroid tumor (P = 0.029) and T stage (P = 0.000) were the effective risk factors of CT positive RTT.

CONCLUSIONS

RTT has certain characteristic distribution and appearances on SPECT/CT. Most of RTT with definite CT abnormalities located adjacent to lamina of thyroid cartilage, which suggest surgeons should strengthen the careful removal in this region, especially primary thyroid tumor involving bilateral and T4 stage. This study can provide a certain value for the improvement of thyroidectomy quality in DTC patients.

Site-Specific Metastasis and Survival in Papillary Thyroid Cancer: The Importance of Brain and Multi-Organ Disease

Introduction-heterogeneity in clinical outcomes and survival was observed in patients with papillary thyroid cancer (PTC) and distant metastases. Here, we investigated the effect of distant metastases sites on survival in PTC patients. Methods-patients with a diagnosis of PTC and known metastases were identified using the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results database (1975-2016). Univariate and multivariate Cox regression analyses were performed to analyze the effect of distant metastases sites on thyroid cancer-specific survival (TCSS) and overall survival (OS). Results-from 89,694 PTC patients, 1819 (2%) developed distant metastasis at the initial diagnosis, of whom 26.3% presented with the multiple-organ disease. The most common metastatic sites were lung (53.4%), followed by bone (28.1%), liver (8.3%), and brain (4.7%). In metastatic patients, thyroid cancer-specific death accounted for 73.2%. Kaplan-Meier curves showed decreased OS in patients with metastases to the brain (median OS = 5 months) and liver (median OS = 6 months) compared to lung (median OS = 10 months) and bone (median OS = 23 months). Moreover, multiple organ metastasis had a higher mortality rate (67.4%) compared to single organ metastasis (51.2%, p < 0.001). Using multivariate analysis, risk factors that significantly influence TCSS and OS were male gender (HR = 1.86, 95% CI = 1.17-2.94, p < 0.001, and HR = 1.90, 95% CI = 1.40-2.57, p = 0.009), higher tumor grade (HR = 7.31, 95% CI = 2.13-25.0, p < 0.001 and HR = 4.76, 95% CI = 3.93-5.76, p < 0.001), multiple organ involvement (HR = 6.52, 95% CI = 1.50-28.39, p = 0.026 and HR = 5.08, 95% CI = 1.21-21.30, p = 0.013), and brain metastasis (HR = 1.82, 95% CI = 1.15-2.89, p < 0.001 and HR = 4.21, 95% CI = 2.20-8.07, p = 0.010). Conclusion-the pattern of distant metastatic organ involvement was associated with variability in OS in PTC. Multi-organ metastasis and brain involvement are associated with lower survival rates in PTC. Knowledge of the patterns of distant metastasis is crucial to personalize the treatment and follow-up strategies.

Distant Metastases From Childhood Differentiated Thyroid Carcinoma: Clinical Course and Mutational Landscape

CONTEXT

Distant metastases (DM) from childhood differentiated thyroid carcinoma (DTC) are uncommon and published studies are limited.

OBJECTIVE

This work aimed to describe the outcomes of patients with DM from childhood DTC and to evaluate the molecular landscape of these tumors.

METHODS

A retrospective study was conducted at a tertiary cancer center including patients with pediatric DTC (diagnosed at age ≤ 18 years from 1946 to 2019) and DM.

RESULTS

We identified 148 patients; 144 (97%) had papillary thyroid carcinoma (PTC) and 104 (70%) were female. Median age at DTC diagnosis was 13.4 years (interquartile range [IQR], 9.9-15.9 years). Evaluable individuals received a median of 2 (IQR, 1-3) radioactive iodine (RAI) treatments at a median cumulative administered activity of 238.0 mCi (IQR, 147.5-351.0 mCi). The oncogenic driver was determined in 64 of 69 PTC samples: RET fusion (38/64; 59%), NTRK1/3 fusions (18/64; 28%), and the BRAF V600E mutation (8/64; 13%). At last evaluation, 93% had persistent disease. The median overall and disease-specific survival after DTC diagnosis were 50.7 and 52.8 years, respectively. Eight (5%) PTC patients died of disease after a median of 30.7 years (IQR, 20.6-37.6 years).

CONCLUSION

Childhood DTC with DM persists in most patients despite multiple courses of RAI, but disease-specific death is uncommon, typically occurring decades after diagnosis. Fusion genes are highly prevalent in PTC, and all identified molecular alterations have appropriate targeted therapies. Future studies should focus on expanding genotype-phenotype correlations, determining how to integrate molecularly targeted therapy into treatment paradigms, and relying less on repeated courses of RAI to achieve cure in patients with DM from childhood DTC.

Herbal Active Ingredients: An Emerging Potential for the Prevention and Treatment of Papillary Thyroid Carcinoma

Papillary thyroid carcinoma (PTC) is the most common subtype of differentiated thyroid cancers in Asian coastal cities, where the patients have increased risk of potentially high or excessive iodine intake. Given the high metastasis and recurrence of patients with BRAF^V600E mutation, the mortality rate of thyroid cancer has recently shown an upward trend. A variety of therapies, including surgery, radiotherapy, and chemotherapy, have been used to treat thyroid cancer, but these therapies still have limitations, including postoperative complications, drug resistance, poor efficacy, or serious side effects. Recent studies have shown the potential of active ingredients derived from herbal medicine in inhibiting PTC via various cell signaling pathways. Some plant-derived compounds, such as apigenin, genistein, and curcumin, are also known to prevent and treat PTC. This article summarizes the recent advances in the structure-functional impact of anti-PTC active ingredients and their effects on PTC cells and tumor microenvironments with an emphasis on their challenges from basic research to clinical practice.

Lung Metastases From Papillary Thyroid Cancer With Persistently Negative Thyroglobulin and Elevated Thyroglobulin Antibody Levels During Radioactive Iodine Treatment and Follow-Up: Long-Term Outcomes and Prognostic Indicators

Background: The lung is the most frequent site of distant metastasis from differentiated thyroid cancer (DTC). However, lung metastasis from papillary thyroid cancer (PTC) with persistently negative thyroglobulin (Tg) and elevated Tg antibody (TgAb) levels is an extremely rare entity, and the prognosis is therefore elusive. We investigated the clinical characteristics, long-term outcomes, and prognostic factors of lung metastases in PTC patients with persistently negative thyroglobulin (Tg) and elevated Tg antibody (TgAb) levels during radioactive iodine (¹³¹I) treatment and follow-up. Methods: We retrospectively reviewed 10,482 patients with DTC who underwent postoperative ¹³¹I treatment from 2007 to 2017 at Shanghai Sixth's People's Hospital. The relationships between progression-free survival (PFS) and several variables were assessed by univariate and multivariate analyses using the Kaplan-Meier method and a Cox proportional hazards model, respectively. Results: Forty-seven patients with PTC were enrolled in this study (4.48‰ of all patients with DTC). The median age at the initial diagnosis of lung metastasis was 39.6 ± 15.4 years, and the patients comprised 14 male and 33 female patients (male: female ratio = 1.00:2.36). Twenty-five patients had ¹³¹I avidity and 22 had non-¹³¹I avidity. At the end of the 5-years follow-up, 12 patients exhibited progressive disease (PD), and 2 patients had died. At the end of the 10-years follow-up, 21 patients showed PD and five patients had died. The 5- and 10-year PFS rates were 74.47 and 53.32%, respectively; the 5- and 10-years overall survival (OS) rates were 95.74 and 89.36%, respectively. The timing of diagnosis of lung metastases, maximal size of lung metastases, and ¹³¹I avidity were significantly associated with the 5-years PFS rate (P = 0.035, P = 0.030, and P<0.001, respectively). Only ¹³¹I avidity was associated with the 10-years PFS rate (P < 0.001). The multivariate analyses also showed that non-¹³¹I avidity were the independent poor prognostic factors for 10-years PFS at the end of follow-up (P < 0.001). Conclusions: Lung metastases from PTC in patients with persistently negative Tg and elevated TgAb levels had an excellent prognosis and survival rate during ¹³¹I treatment and follow-up. The loss of ¹³¹I avidity remained the strongest independent predictor of a poor prognosis and survival in these patients.