[Is age a prognostic factor in differentiated carcinoma of the thyroid gland? (author's transl)]

Reviewing the outcome of 82 patients with differentiated carcinoma of the thyroid gland operated upon and followed up for more than 5 years, the authors were unable to find any difference between "younger" *under 45) and "older" (above 45) patients. They wonder whether the poorer prognosis of differentiated thyroid gland carcinoma in older patients could be due to to the tumour being usually more advanced in such patients at the time of diagnosis rather than to age itself. II this were the case, there would be no need to tailor the operative procedure to the patient's age.