Evidence map›Paper›PMID 28985856›Full record

ArticleThe Journal of surgical research2017

Papillary thyroid microcarcinoma: decision-making, extent of surgery, and outcomes.

Amanda K Price, Reese W Randle, David F Schneider, Rebecca S Sippel, Susan C Pitt

Open access · greenAbstract read
In one paragraph

Article in The Journal of surgical research, 2017. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 8 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
8citing papers in PubMed, 1 pooled it
1.9field-weighted citation impact, top 13% of its field
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

8 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it, 20 citations in OpenAlex.

  1. Completion Thyroidectomy Trends and Rates: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.Clinical otolaryngology : official journal of ENT-UK ; official journal of Netherlands Society for Oto-Rhino-Laryngology & Cervico-Facial Surgery · 2025
    Pooled it
  2. Trial
  3. Landmark Studies in Differentiated Thyroid Cancer.Annals of surgical oncology · 2025
    Review
  4. Article
  5. Article
  6. Review
  7. Article
  8. Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

5 authors at 1 institution in 1 country.

Amanda K PriceDivision of Endocrine Surgery, Department of Surgery, University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health, Madison, Wisconsin.
Reese W RandleDivision of Endocrine Surgery, Department of Surgery, University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health, Madison, Wisconsin.
David F SchneiderDivision of Endocrine Surgery, Department of Surgery, University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health, Madison, Wisconsin.
Rebecca S SippelDivision of Endocrine Surgery, Department of Surgery, University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health, Madison, Wisconsin.
Susan C PittDivision of Endocrine Surgery, Department of Surgery, University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health, Madison, Wisconsin. Electronic address: pitt@surgery.wisc.edu.
University of Wisconsin–Madison · US

Funding

Central Neck Dissection in Patients with Clinical Node Negative Thyroid CancerR01CA176911 · NCI · UNIVERSITY OF WISCONSIN-MADISON · PI CONNOR, NADINE P, SIPPEL, REBECCA S · 2014 to 2019
$1.8M
Surgery Summer Research Experience for Medical StudentsT35DK062709 · NIDDK · UNIVERSITY OF WISCONSIN-MADISON · PI MEZRICH, JOSHUA D · 2006 to 2023
$870k
NCI NIH HHS R01 CA176911NIDDK NIH HHS T35 DK062709
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundThe optimal extent of surgery for patients with papillary thyroid microcarcinoma (PTMC), tumors ≤1 cm, is controversial because survival is excellent regardless of approach. The objective of this study was to investigate patient and surgeon decision-making about the extent of surgery for PTMC. MATERIALS AND

methodsWe conducted a retrospective review of thyroid cancer patients operated on at a single institution from 2008-2016. To examine decision-making about the extent of surgery, we performed a discourse analysis on all available documentation looking for patient or surgeon reasons.

resultsOf the 853 thyroid cancer patients, 125 (14.7%) had a PTMC as their largest tumor. Overall, 27.2% of the PTMC patients underwent a thyroid lobectomy, whereas 72.8% had a total thyroidectomy (TT). Of those patients diagnosed with PTMC preoperatively (19/125), a significantly higher proportion underwent a TT (94.7% versus 68.9%, P = 0.02). In all cases, documentation indicated that these preoperatively diagnosed patients followed the surgeon's recommendation regarding the extent of surgery. Reasons surgeons cited for recommending a TT included patient and disease factors (34.6%), belief that TT was the standard treatment (21.7%), ease of follow-up (8.7%), and referring provider preference (4.3%). Of the 19 patients diagnosed preoperatively, four (21.1%) patients had a complication, one (5.3%) of which was permanent and potentially avoidable with less extensive surgery.

conclusionsThese data suggest that surgeons drive decision-making about the extent of thyroidectomy in patients with preoperatively diagnosed PTMC. With recent guidelines recommending thyroid lobectomy, closer examination of decision-making is needed to ensure that patients make well-informed, preference-based decisions.

Indexed as

AdolescentAdultAgedCarcinoma, PapillaryChildChild, PreschoolClinical Decision-MakingFemaleHumansMaleMiddle AgedRetrospective StudiesThyroidectomyThyroid NeoplasmsTreatment OutcomeYoung AdultDecision-makingPapillary thyroid microcarcinoma

Identifiers

PMID28985856
PMCPMC5703188
OpenAlexW2640254665

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
LicenceTDM
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.