A Clinical Analysis of the Thyroid Cancer

갑상선암의 임상적 고찰

Background: Thyroid cancer is a relatively rare neoplasm and its incidence varies geographically and ethnically around the world. Thyroid cancer is the most common endocrine malignancy, but it has a wide spectrum of biologic behavior, histologic appearance, and management. Purpose: The purpose of the study was to analyse and evaluate all aspects of the clinical consideration in thyroid cancer. Method: Between 1986 and 1995, a retrospective analysis of 77 thyrod cancer patients admitted at the Department of Surgery, Hangang Sacred Heart Hospital, Hallym University was made to assess clinical entities. Result: By the pathological classification, the papillary carcinoma was the most common type(83.1%). Male to female ratio was 1 : 5.4 and most prevalent age group was noted from fourth decade to fifth decade(46.8%). The most common duration of illness between the appearance of the symptoms and the treatment was below 6 months(44.2%), and the most common symptom was the palpable mass at the anterior portion of the neck(96.1%). Most cases of the thyroid cancer were appeared as cold nodule in the $^{99m}$Tc-thyroid scan(95.7%). In the site of tumor location, the right and left lobe was distributed similarly. In the extent of tumor, incidence of intrathyroidal location was 41.6%, and that of the metastasis to the cervical lymph nodes was 44.2% and that of the direct capsular invasion was 27.3%, and incidence of both involved case was 13%. Surgical procedures were total thyroidectomy alone in 27 cases(35.1%) or with modified neck dissection in 6 cases(7.8%), or with radical neck dissection in 2 cases (2.6%), near total thyroidectomy alone in 22 cases(28.6%), ipsilateral lobectomy with isthmectomy alone in 12 cases(15.6%) or with modified neck dissection in 1 case(1.3%), and biopsy only in 7 cases(9.1%). The most common postoperative complications were transient hypoparathyroidism(5.2%) and transient unilateral recurrent laryngeal nerve paralysis(5.2%). Conclusion: The major problem of management of thyroid cancer include a wide spectrum of clinical behaviour of this tumor entity, the lack of reliable prognostic factors and lack of an objective assessment of the various treatment modalities. But because of showing the favorable prognosis for most thyroid cancer, appropriate and aggressive management should be recommended.