[Differentiated cancer of the thyroid. Prognostic factors and therapeutic attitude]

Differentiated cancer of the thyroid. Prognostic factors and therapeutic attitude. This study deals with a series of 43 cases of differentiated cancer of the thyroid operated in our unit of IBN ROCHD University Hospital of Casablanca between 1981 and 1985. Our purpose is to expose our therapeutic philosophy and to compare our results with those of the literature. The youngest patient is 16 years old, the oldest is 70. The averaged aged is 43 years, 84% of the patients are females and only 16% are male. Papillary cancer constitutes the main group with 62%, the vesicular carcinoma represents only 38%. Our treatment management is made of surgery associated or not to radioactive iodine, but systematically followed by permanent hormonotherapy. Prognostic factors are reported and discussed. Actually three different surgical attitudes are confronted: the maximalistic, the minimalistic and the eclectic ones. Regular and long term follow-up of operated patients is considered of importance.