[Limited radical approach in differentiated thyroid gland cancers. A prospective study of 107 patients]

From 1979 until 1987 a prospective study about limited radical therapy of 107 patients with differentiated cancer of the thyroid was performed. Nearly all of the tumors were occult papillary or encapsulated papillary and follicular carcinomas. The thyroid was not completely resected. Postoperative therapy consisted in TSH-suppression. After a follow-up of 7.5 (5-12) years one patient had died because of the tumor disease. Four patients had to be reoperated for lymph node metastases and then stayed free of disease as all other patients.