MODIFIED NECK DISSECTION IN THE TREATMENT OF DIFFERENTIATED THYROID-CARCINOMA

The prognosis of differentiated carcinoma of the thyroid has been repo rted to be extremely favourable, Previous studies have concluded that lymph node metastasis do not affect survival rates in patients with di fferentiated thyroid carcinoma, Therefore, nodal metastasis has not be en evaluated as a prognostic factor in recent definitions of risk grou ps, To determine the significance of nodal disease, we reviewed 219 co nsecutive patients with differentiated thyroid cancer (191 papillary, 14 follicular and 14 Hurtle cell carcinomas), Fifty-five patients were treated with modified neck dissection and all of them received adjuva nt radioiodine, There were recurrences in 25 patients (11.4%), with fo llow-up ranging from 6 months to 14 Sears, Systemic disease occurred s ynchronously in two patients, and four patients died of thyroid carcin oma.