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Updated: Feb 6, 2026

Transoral Robotic Total Thyroidectomy and Bilateral Central Regional Lymph Node Dissection for Papillary Thyroid Carcinoma
Published on: September 15, 2023
Dynamic risk stratification in papillary thyroid carcinoma measuring 1 to 4 cm
Yu-Mi Lee1, Jae Won Cho1, Suck Joon Hong1
1Department of Surgery, Asan Medical Center, University of Ulsan College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea.
Background And Objectives:
This study aimed to validate the dynamic risk stratification (DRS) system, evaluate its correlation with structural recurrence, and assess the clinicopathological risk factors associated with a nonexcellent response to initial therapy in patients with papillary thyroid cancer (PTC) measuring 1 to 4 cm.
Methods:
A total of 762 patients with classic PTC measuring 1 to 4 cm were classified into four categories based on their response to initial therapy 2 years postoperatively.
Results:
Structural recurrent disease occurred in 4.7%, 17.1%, 48.4%, and 83.9% of patients with excellent, indeterminate, biochemically incomplete, and structurally incomplete responses, respectively, at the time of the last follow-up. The response to initial therapy in the DRS was one of the independent risk factors for structural recurrence. The disease-free survival curves of patients with different responses showed significant differences (P < 0.001). Extensive extrathyroidal extension, lymph node (LN) metastasis, number of metastatic LNs greater than 2.0, metastatic LN ratio greater than 0.22, and extranodal extension were independent risk factors for nonexcellent response to initial therapy.
Conclusions:
DRS can be a useful tool in predicting structural recurrence and guiding postoperative management and follow-up strategies in patients with PTC measuring 1 to 4 cm.
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