[Early evaluation of results after total thyroidectomy in patients with thyroid cancer]

219 patients (159 females, 60 males) operated in Clinic of Oncological Surgery in Gliwice between 1995 and 1999 were analyzed in this study. In 89% of cases differentiated thyroid carcinoma (DTC) was diagnosed. In other patients medullary cancer (8%) and anaplastic one (3%) were diagnosed. Total thyroidectomy with removal of the central cervical lymph nodes compartment was performed in all cases. In 86% of operations bilateral nodal biopsy was done. In 27% of cases modified cervical lymph node dissection was performed. 44 patients were in T4 stage. In 51% of cases cervical nodal metastases were observed. The operation was estimated as radical in 195 patients. Distant metastases occurred in 15 patients. Bilateral paresis of recurrent laryngeal nerve was not observed, unilateral was noticed in 8.7% of cases, permanent hypoparathyroidism appeared in 15% of patients. In postoperative scintigraphy radioiodine uptake was in the range of 0-10% in 206 cases and in the range of 0-3% in 2/3 of operated patients. 125 patients with DTC were treated with 131I. All patients with DTC were administered L-thyroxine to suppress TSH. In other types of cancer substitutive hormone therapy was introduced. In the entire group 8 deaths occurred and 13 cases of local recurrences were observed during the observation.

The results prove the high effectiveness of the radical thyroidectomy performed in thyroid cancer.