Risk Factors of Deterioration in Quality of Life Scores in Thyroid Cancer Patients After Thyroidectomy

Long-term Quality of Life After Thyroidectomy: Transoral Endoscopic Thyroidectomy Vestibular Approach Versus Transcervical Approach

OBJECTIVE

To compare long-term health-related quality of life (HRQOL) after Transoral Endoscopic Thyroidectomy Vestibular Approach (TOETVA) and transcervical approach (TCA) thyroidectomy.

STUDY DESIGN

Prospective cohort study.

SETTING

Tertiary referral center.

METHODS

A web-based survey was distributed to patients at our institution who met the criteria for TOETVA and underwent thyroidectomy by TOETVA or TCA between August 2017 and October 2021. All survey participants were at least 6 months postsurgery. Minors, non-English speakers, and patients who received concomitant neck dissection or reoperative thyroidectomy were excluded from the study. The survey assessed quality of life through 4 standardized instruments: the Dermatology Life Quality Index (DLQI), the Eating Assessment Tool (EAT-10), the Voice Handicap Index (VHI-10), and the Short Form Health Survey (SF-36).

RESULTS

A total of 108 TOETVA and 129 TCA patients were included in the study. The median age of respondents was 44 (36, 54; 25th, 75th percentile) years and median time from surgery to survey was 35 (22, 45; 25th, 75th percentile) months. TOETVA group DLQI (0.63 vs 0.99; P = .17), VHI-10 (1.94 vs 1.67; P = .35), EAT-10 (2.14 vs 2.32; P = .29), SF-36 physical component (52.25 vs 51.00; P = .25), and SF-36 mental component (47.74 vs 47.29; P = .87) scores were all similar to those of the TCA group. Scrutinizing specific DLQI questions, individuals in the TOETVA group were less self-conscious of their skin as compared to the TCA group (Q2; 0.08 vs 0.26, P = .03).

CONCLUSION

Long-term HRQOL after TOETVA is similar to TCA, with significantly lower skin-related self-consciousness.

Quality of Life in Patients With Well-Differentiated Thyroid Carcinoma After Total Thyroidectomy in Greece

INTRODUCTION

Well-differentiated thyroid cancer is among the most common types of endocrine cancer. Despite its increasing prevalence, the prognosis of thyroid cancer is rather good, with a five-year survival rate ranging between 80% and 90%, depending on the histological type. Not only the post-treatment complications and the side effects of the lifelong medication but also the possibility of a recurrence may have a negative impact on the patient's quality of life (QoL).

OBJECTIVE

The aim of this study is to investigate the impact of total thyroidectomy on the QoL of patients with well-differentiated thyroid carcinoma.

METHODS

A prospective study was performed in patients who underwent total thyroidectomy due to well-differentiated thyroid carcinoma in the Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery Department at the University Hospital of Larissa, Greece. The QoL was evaluated based on the "Quality of Life (Thyroid Version)" questionnaire.

RESULTS

One hundred patients participated in the study, with a mean age of 51.24±15.33 years. Of these, 63 (63%) were females and 37 (37%) were males. Social concerns, physical well-being, and psychological well-being presented a gradual positive alteration during the first 12 months after the surgery, with psychological well-being reporting the most significant progress of 15.3%. However, spiritual well-being appeared to decline over time. The younger patients progressively improved their physical, psychological, and mental well-being; however, the older patients showed an amelioration of their social skills. Female patients reported higher levels of spiritual well-being, whereas males developed better social skills.

CONCLUSIONS

In the long term, total thyroidectomy can ameliorate patients' physical status, psychological well-being, and social concerns. However, it might have a negative effect on their mental health during the first 12 months postoperatively. In addition, QoL is directly influenced by demographic characteristics such as age and gender.

Long Term Health-Related Quality of Life with Differentiated Thyroid Cancer in Goiter Endemic Area

Health related quality of life (HRQOL) is a multidimensional concept that encompasses the patient's perceptions of his or her physical, emotional, social, and cognitive functions. Despite DTC patients' long survival, HRQOL has been shown to be lower than in the general population. There is a scarcity of data on HRQOL in thyroid cancer in the Indian population and especially goiter endemic area. As a result, the authors conducted a health-related quality of life survey in patients managed at their center in Northern India's Sub-Himalayan region using two widely accepted questionnaires. Adults with differentiated thyroid cancer who had surgery with or without radio-iodine ablation and had recovered for at least 6 months were assessed using health quality of life surveys, the QLQ-C30 and QLQ-THY34 of the European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer Quality of Life Group. The survey was completed by 57 adults with a mean age of 45.64 ± 15.64 years. The average time between the survey and treatment was 13.3 ± 10.8 months. After surgery, the QLQ-C30 found a significant reduction in insomnia, appetite loss, constipation, diarrhea, and financial difficulties, whereas radio-iodine ablation significantly improved global health status. The QLQ-THY34 found a significant increase in symptoms such as voice concerns, hair problems, dry mouth, shoulder functioning, tingling, and worrying after surgery, with a significant improvement in swallowing and job impact symptoms. The surgical extent had no impact. The quality of life for people with differentiated thyroid cancer in goiter-endemic areas is similar to that of other areas. However, the limited number of subjects in the study warrants further large sample size longitudinal study to understand the exact Health-related quality of life in thyroid cancer in endemic area.

Health-Related Quality of Life After Thyroid Cancer Surgery: A Single-Center, Cross-Sectional Study in Southern Vietnam

Background Thyroid cancer is the most common malignant disease in the endocrine glands. Symptoms of the disease affect the functions of organs in the body. Although thyroid cancer is often considered a "good cancer" because it progresses slowly, the likelihood of successful treatment is quite high; what is special is that the effect on the quality of life (QoL) is on par with more severe types of cancer. Currently, studies on QoL assessment in thyroid cancer patients are quite limited in southern Vietnam. The present study investigated the potential risk factors of deterioration in QoL scores in thyroid cancer patients after thyroidectomy. Methodology A descriptive, cross-sectional study was performed on a total of 162 patients who were diagnosed with thyroid cancer and underwent thyroidectomy at the University Medical Center Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam, from February to May 2023. Data were collected through face-to-face interviews with patients and from medical records. The European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer Quality of Life Questionnaire Core 30 was used to assess the QoL one month after thyroidectomy. Multivariable logistic regression was used to identify factors related to QoL with statistical significance set at p-value <0.05. Results The mean overall QoL in thyroid cancer survivors was 84.4 ± 10.00 (on a scale of 0-100, where 100 was the best). The results of multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that the factors related to QoL after thyroidectomy were surgery type (p < 0.001), having a comorbidity (p = 0.029), economic status (p = 0.026), and hormone disorder (p = 0.009). Conclusions Our study indicated that surgery type, having a comorbidity, economic status, and hormone disorders were independent risk factors for decreased QoL one month after thyroidectomy. It is necessary to thoroughly assess the QoL before and after surgery in thyroid cancer patients. Longer follow-up QoL studies should be performed with larger sample sizes for more accurate results.

The "not so good" thyroid cancer: a scoping review on risk factors associated with anxiety, depression and quality of life

The incidence of thyroid cancer has increased in recent years, leading to a growing number of survivors facing lifelong consequences. This scoping review investigated anxiety, depression, and quality of life (QoL) in thyroid cancer survivors compared to the general population, those with benign pathology, and survivors of other types of cancers. Moreover, we aimed to identify the risk factors associated with anxiety, depression, and QoL in thyroid cancer patients. A total of 727 articles were identified through PubMed, ProQuest, Cochrane, and Google Scholar databases, and 68 articles that met the criteria were selected for data extraction. Thyroid cancer survivors have a poorer QoL compared to the general population, population with benign pathology, and survivors of other types of cancer associated with worse clinical outcomes. The main risk factors are grouped into socioeconomic factors, disease-specific factors, management factors, comorbidities, and patient perceptions. Effective communication between the patient and the medical team and behavioral interventions may reduce these risks. Despite the common perception of thyroid cancer as a "good cancer," the findings of this review demonstrate the need to address the risk factors associated with increased anxiety, depression, and lower QoL in survivors.

Effect of radioiodine therapy under thyroid hormone withdrawal on health-related quality of life in patients with differentiated thyroid cancer

OBJECTIVE

To investigate the effect of radioactive iodine therapy under thyroid hormone withdrawal in differentiated thyroid cancer patients on health-related quality of life.

METHODS

Patients who were diagnosed with differentiated thyroid cancer after thyroidectomy were involved in this study. All of them were managed with thyroid hormone withdrawal. Health-related quality of life was assessed using the European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer Quality of Life Questionnaire Core 30 and its thyroid cancer module at three different time points. Changes in health-related quality of life were evaluated by Wilcoxon and Kruskal-Wallis tests. Univariable logistic regression analysis was used to determine social-demographic and clinical factors associated with worse health-related quality of life.

RESULTS

A total of 99 differentiated thyroid cancer patients were involved in this study. Changes in health-related quality of life at different time points showed that 1 month post-radioactive iodine treatment, an improvement in nausea and vomiting, insomnia and appetite loss was observed. Impairments of global health, role, cognitive and social function and problems of discomfort in the head and neck, voice concerns, dry mouth, fatigue, pain, dyspnea, thyroid fatigue, fear, tingling or numbness, joint pain and shoulder function increased after radioactive iodine treatment. Univariable logistic regression analysis demonstrated potential factors associated with worse health-related quality of life. Thyroid stimulating hormone and parathyroid hormone levels were more sensible to changes in functional domain. Patients aged ≥55-year-old, with annual income under ¥50 000, low parathyroid hormone and pT4 tumour stage experienced higher changes in symptom scales after radioactive iodine treatment.

CONCLUSION

After radioactive iodine treatment, differentiated thyroid cancer patients experienced negative health-related quality of life, and most of these impairments might not recover in the short term. Thyroid stimulating hormone and parathyroid hormone levels, annual income and pT tumours stage were independent risk factors for decreased health-related quality of life.

SOX12 Promotes Thyroid Cancer Cell Proliferation and Invasion by Regulating the Expression of POU2F1 and POU3F1

PURPOSE

SOX12 is overexpressed in many cancers, and we aimed to explore the biological function and mechanism of SOX12 in thyroid cancer.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

We first analyzed the expression of SOX12 in thyroid cancer using data in The Cancer Genome Atlas. Immunohistochemistry and qRT-PCR were performed to identify SOX12 expression in thyroid cancer tissue and cells. Thyroid cancer cells were transfected with small interfering RNA targeting SOX12, and cellular functional experiments, including CCK8, wound healing, and Transwell assays, were performed. Protein expression was examined by Western blot analysis. A xenograft model was developed to evaluate the effect of SOX12 on tumor growth in vivo.

RESULTS

SOX12 expression was increased in thyroid cancer tissue and cells. SOX12 promoted cell proliferation, migration, and invasion and accelerated tumor growth in vivo. The expression of PCNA, Cyclin D1, E-cadherin, Snail, MMP-2, and MMP-9 was affected by SOX12 knockdown. Bioinformatic analysis showed that SOX12 could interact with the POU family. SOX12 knockdown inhibited the expression of POU2F1, POU2F2, POU3F1 and POU3F2, and SOX12 expression showed a positive correlation with POU2F1, POU3F1, and POU3F2 expression in clinical data. POU2F1 and POU3F1 were able to reverse the effect of SOX12 knockdown on thyroid cancer cells.

CONCLUSION

SOX12 affects the progression of thyroid cancer by regulating epithelial-mesenchymal transition and interacting with POU2F1 and POU3F1, which may be novel targets for thyroid cancer molecular therapy.

Anxiety and quality of life among papillary thyroid cancer patients awaiting final pathology results after surgery

PURPOSE

There is a lack of research on short-term mental health and health-related quality of life (HRQoL) in thyroid cancer patients. This study aimed to assess the short-term anxiety level and HRQoL of patients during the early postoperative period while awaiting pathology results, and to explore the important factors associated with state anxiety.

METHODS

In this single-center cross-sectional study, 349 patients with papillary thyroid cancer were included. Anxiety and HRQoL were measured using the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI) and the European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer Quality of Life Questionnaire (EORTC-QLQ-C30), respectively.

RESULTS

In general, papillary thyroid cancer patients reported good quality of life with a mean global quality of life score of 75.69 ± 20.66 (on a scale of 0-100, where 100 means the best). There was no significant difference in HRQoL between the two groups, except regarding social functioning (p = 0.027). The anxiety levels of the two groups were similar; however, the state anxiety score (42.17 ± 12.52) was significantly higher than the trait anxiety score (40.69 ± 11.18) among patients in the non-FNA group (p = 0.023). Dyspnea, insomnia, QL, and trait anxiety were independent factors that affected state anxiety.

CONCLUSION

Patients with papillary thyroid cancer had good postoperative HRQoL and a significantly higher than usual level of state anxiety while awaiting pathology results. Symptoms of dyspnea and insomnia, global quality of life, and trait anxiety are important factors associated with state anxiety. Preoperative FNA results may moderate the change in anxiety level. These findings may help clinicians provide psychological support.

Machine learning-based random forest for predicting decreased quality of life in thyroid cancer patients after thyroidectomy

OBJECTIVE

Decreased quality of life (QoL) in thyroid cancer patients after thyroidectomy is a common, but there is a lack of predictive methods for decreased QoL. This study aimed to construct a machine learning-based random forest for predicting decreased QoL in thyroid cancer patients 3 months after thyroidectomy.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Two hundred and eighty-six thyroid cancer patients after thyroidectomy were enrolled in this prospective cross-sectional study from November 2018 to June 2019, and were randomly assigned to training and validation cohorts at a ratio of 7:3. The European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer quality of life questionnaire version 3 (EORTC QLQ-C30) questionnaire was used to assess the QoL 3 months after thyroidectomy, and decreased QoL was defined as EORTC QLQ-C30 < 60 points. The random forest model was constructed for predicting decreased QoL in thyroid cancer patients after thyroidectomy.

RESULTS

The mean QoL 3 months after thyroidectomy was 65.93 ± 9.00 with 21.33% (61/286) decreased QoL. The main manifestation is fatigue in symptom scales and social functioning dysfunction in functional scales. The top seven most important indices affecting QoL were clinical stage, marital status, histological type, age, nerve injury symptom, economic income and surgery type. For random forest prediction model, the areas under the curve in the training and validation courts were 0.834 and 0.897, respectively.

CONCLUSION

The present study demonstrated that random forest model for predicting decreased QoL in thyroid cancer patients 3 months after thyroidectomy displayed relatively high accuracy. These findings should be applied clinically to optimise health care.

Effects of Central Neck Dissection on Complications in Differentiated Thyroid Cancer

Objective

It is still controversial whether performing central neck dissection (CND) in addition to total thyroidectomy (TT) increases the risk of complications. In the present study, we aimed to evaluate the effect of CND on the development of complications in differentiated thyroid cancer (DTC) compared to TT.

Material and Methods

The data of 186 patients (136 females and 50 males) with a mean age of 48.73±14.78 (range, 17-82) whom were operated for DTC were evaluated retrospectively. The patients were divided into two groups; TT (Group 1) and CND±TT/Completion thyroidectomy±lateral neck dissection (Group 2).

Results

There were 117 (91 F, 26 M) patients in Group 1 and 69 (45 F, 24 M) patients in Group 2. Parathyroid auto transplantation (PA) was significantly higher in Group 2 compared to Group 1 (42% vs. 6%) (p=0.000). Total (58% vs. 21.4%, respectively; p=0.000) and transient hypoparathyroidism (52.2% vs. 20.5%, respectively; p=0.000) were significantly higher in Group 2 than in Group 1, but permanent hypoparathyroidism rates were statistically not significant (5.8% vs. 0.9%, respectively; p=0.064). In the multinomial logistic regression analysis, CND alone was determined as an independent risk factor for increased both total and transient hypoparathyroidism. The relative risk (RR) of CND for total hypoparathyroidism was 5.2 times increased (odds ratio [OR]: 0.192) (p=0.007), while the RR for transient hypoparathyroidism was 3.5 times increased (OR: 0.285) (p=0.036). According to the number of nerves at risk, CND was performed in 119 neck side and only thyroidectomy was performed in 253 neck side. Total vocal cord paralysis (VCP) rate (9 [7.6%] vs. 6 [2.4%], respectively) (p=0.017) and transient VCP rate (7 [6%] vs. 4 [1.6%], respectively) (p=0.021) in patients who underwent CND were significantly higher compared to those who underwent only thyroidectomy. In multinomial logistic regression analysis performing only CND was an independent risk factor for total VCP, and increased the total VCP RR approximately 5.34 times (OR:0.184; p=0.007).

Conclusion

Although CND can be applied without increasing the rates of permanent hypoparathyroidism and VCP compared to TT, it increases the risk of total and transient hypoparathyroidism, total, and transient VCP. Patients undergoing CND should be followed carefully in terms of transient hypoparathyroidism.

Thyroid Lobectomy for Low-Risk Papillary Thyroid Cancer: A National Survey of Low- and High-Volume Surgeons

BACKGROUND

The 2015 American Thyroid Association guidelines endorsed lobectomy for patients with low-risk papillary thyroid cancer (PTC) measuring 1-4 cm. Attitudes about the use of lobectomy for these patients are lacking, particularly from low-volume surgeons who perform the majority of thyroidectomies in the US.

METHODS

A survey was mailed to 1000 surgeons stratified by specialty (500 general surgeons and 500 otolaryngologists) registered with the American Medical Association, to evaluate beliefs and practices about the extent of surgery for low-risk PTC. Comparisons examined differences by surgeon volume.

RESULTS

Of 320 respondents who have performed thyroidectomy since 2015 (150 general surgeons, 170 otolaryngologists), 206 (64.4%) were low volume (< 26 thyroidectomies/year). The proportion of surgeons recommending lobectomy for low-risk PTC measuring 1.1 to < 4 cm ranged from 43.1 to 2.6%. High-volume surgeons recommended lobectomy more frequently for PTC measuring 1.1-3 cm, although this was not statistically significant. Thirty-three percent of respondents believed lobectomy is underused for low-risk PTC, while 10.0% believed it is overused. Additionally, 19.6% of respondents believed recurrence is more likely after lobectomy than total thyroidectomy, and 3.3% believed mortality is higher. Few believed quality of life is better after lobectomy (12.3%). Low-volume surgeons were less likely to be aware guidelines support lobectomy for low-risk PTC 1-4 cm (p < 0.001) and less likely to use clinical practice guidelines (p = 0.004).

CONCLUSIONS

Most surgeons do not support lobectomy for patients with low-risk PTC > 1 cm. Awareness of guidelines and concerns about increased risk of recurrence after lobectomy may drive surgeons' preference for total thyroidectomy.

Health-related quality of life after transoral robotic thyroidectomy in papillary thyroid carcinoma

BACKGROUND

Health-related quality of life after transoral robotic thyroidectomy has not been evaluated thoroughly. The purpose of this study was to compare health-related quality of life after transoral robotic thyroidectomy and after conventional thyroidectomy.

METHODS

This study is a prospective, cross-sectional, and observational study of 114 patients who underwent transoral robotic thyroidectomy (57 patients) or conventional transcervical thyroidectomy (57 patients) for the treatment of papillary carcinoma. We used 2 questionnaires: the University of Washington Quality of Life questionnaire for head and neck cancer and the thyroid cancer-specific Quality of Life questionnaire (Thyroid Version). The survey was performed preoperatively, and 3 months and 1 year after thyroidectomy.

RESULTS

Mean scores for neck appearance were higher after surgery in the transoral robotic thyroidectomy group than the conventional group at both 3 months and 1 year. Anxiety was significantly improved after surgery in both groups. Total scores for health-related quality of life after surgery were similar in both groups. Health-related quality of life and overall quality of life over the previous 7 days as measured by the University of Washington Quality of Life questionnaire were significantly better at 1 year than in the preoperative period in both groups. Before surgery, patients in the both groups regarded anxiety and mood as the most important aspects of health-related quality of life. After surgery, patients in the transoral robotic thyroidectomy group identified anxiety, mood, and speech as the most significant issues, while patients in the conventional group selected anxiety, mood, and neck appearance.

CONCLUSION

Quality of life related to neck appearance is higher after transoral robotic thyroidectomy than after transcervical thyroidectomy. However, total scores for health-related quality of life did not differ in the 2 groups after surgery.