A variation in recurrence patterns of papillary thyroid cancer with disease progression: A long-term follow-up study

Background. Studies effectively examining temporal patterns of papillary thyroid cancer (PTC) recurrence are currently lacking. The purpose of this study was to examine sites of PTC recurrence, interval from initial treatment to recurrence, and changing patterns of recurrence during long-term follow-up. Methods. Records of 134 patients with PTC recurrence were analyzed retrospectively. Results. The most common site of initial recurrence was the lateral neck. In 6.7% of patients, distant metastases occurred as initial recurrences. In 74%, recurrences occurred within the first 5 years of surgery, whereas in 5.2%, and 1.5%, recurrences occurred between 10 to 20 years and after 20 years of surgery, respectively. Mean time to recurrence and distant metastasis was 48.2 months and 92.5 months, respectively. Male sex (p = .002), size (p < .001), N classification (p < .001), and recurrence frequency (p = .049) were prognostic factors for distant recurrence. Conclusion. Men with PTC tumors larger than 2 cm, lateral neck node metastasis, and multiple local recurrences should be scrutinized for distant metastasis even after 10 years. (C) 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.