Neck dissection does not increases the risk of stroke in thyroid cancer: A national cohort study

The purpose of this study is to evaluate the risk of stroke (hemorrhagic or ischemic) after neck dissection in thyroid cancer patients in Korea using national cohort data.

Using the national cohort study from the Korean Health Insurance Review and Assessment Service, patients with neck dissection for thyroid cancer (1,041) and control participants (4,164) were selected and matched 1:4 (age, gender, income, and region of residence). The Chi-square test, Fischer's exact test, and the Cox-proportional hazard model were used. The Cox-proportional analysis used a crude model and an adjusted model for age, gender, income, region of residence, hypertension, diabetes, dyslipidemia.

None of the participants had suffered hemorrhagic stroke in the neck dissection group, while 0.3% (13/4,164) of participants had suffered hemorrhagic stroke in the control group (P = 0.085). In total, 0.8% (8/1,041) of participants had suffered an ischemic stroke in the neck dissection group, and 0.7% (31/4,133) of participants had suffered an ischemic stroke in the control group (P = 0.936). The adjusted hazard ratio for ischemic stroke after neck dissection was 1.06 (95% confidence interval [CI] = 0.49-2.31, P = 0.884).

The risk of hemorrhagic or ischemic stroke was not higher in thyroid cancer patients who underwent neck dissection than that in the matched control group.