Clinicopathologic characteristics and surgical outcomes of elderly patients with thyroid cancer

Age is one of the important prognostic factors in thyroid cancer, and old age is generally related to higher rate of post-operative morbidity and mortality. The study analyzed the characteristics of thyroid cancer in elderly patients compared with those in younger patients.

Patients who underwent surgery between 1992 and 2011 were enrolled. The patients were divided into those ≥70 years of age (older group) and <70 years of age (younger group). Data including clinicopathological features and post-operative complications was analyzed. Molecular markers including Galectin-3, Cyclooxygenase-2, bcl-2, Cyclin D1, Epidermal growth factor receptor and BRAF mutation were reviewed. Survival analyses including recurrence-free survival and overall survival were examined.

Of 1867 patients, 98 were age-classified in older group and the remaining 1769 were in younger group. Older group displayed larger tumor size, and increased extrathyroidal extension, vascular invasion and neural invasion than younger group, and all were statistically significant. Molecular marker analyses revealed no significant differences between the groups. Post-operative complication rates were not significantly different between the older and younger groups in both univariate and multivariate analyses. Elderly patients showed poor recurrence-free survival and overall survival than younger patients in univariate analyses. However, age ≥70 years was not associated with poor recurrence-free survival after adjustment of confounding factors.

Molecular features of elderly patients may be similar with younger patients. Even though aggravated clinicopathological features of thyroid carcinoma are more prevalent in elderly patients, thyroid surgery in elderly patients can be performed with favorable surgical and oncological outcomes.