Objective: This study was to compare the types of therapeutic neck dissection in patients with differentiated thyroid carcinoma.
Study design and setting: Sixty-one patients with lymph node metastasis in the neck, treated between 1997 and 2001, were studied retrospectively. A comparative study was made of a selective lateral neck dissection group and a radical or modified radical neck dissection group for recurrence, disease free survival (DFS), and overall survival (OS).
Results: Type of dissection was not related to DFS (P=0.92), OS (P=0.33), and local recurrence ratio (P=0.56). The factors affecting local recurrence were the age over 45 years (P=0.02), tumor size (0.005), and the presence of distant metastasis (P=0.04). The factors affecting DFS and OS were tumor size (0.003), thyroid capsule invasion (0.004).
Conclusions: Determination of the type of therapeutic neck dissection depends on patient and tumor characteristics. Selective lateral neck dissection can be applied safely in selected cases.