ArticleBMC cancer2021
Thyroid cancer overdiagnosis and overtreatment: a cross- sectional study at a thyroid cancer referral center in Ecuador.
Article in BMC cancer, 2021. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 15 papers, 3 of them syntheses that pooled it.
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Who cites it
15 citing papers in PubMed, 3 syntheses or guidelines pooled it, 29 citations in OpenAlex.
- Clinical significance of matrix metalloproteinase-9 expression in papillary thyroid carcinoma: a meta-analysis.World journal of surgical oncology · 2023Pooled it
- Lower Thyroid Cancer Mortality in Patients Detected by Screening: A Meta-Analysis.Endocrinology and metabolism (Seoul, Korea) · 2023Pooled it
- Pooled it
- Evaluation of a conversation aid for patients with thyroid nodules considering a biopsy: pilot multicenter randomized control trial.Endocrine · 2026Trial
- Contemporary management of differentiated thyroid cancer in Latin America: results from the CaTaLiNA prospective multicenter registry.Endocrine · 2026Article
- Colon, colorectal, and all cancer incidence increase in the young due to appendix reclassification.Journal of the National Cancer Institute · 2025Article
- Global trend and disparity in the burden of thyroid cancer attributable to high body-mass index from 1990 to 2021 and projection to 2049: a systematic analysis based on the Global Burden of Disease Study 2021.BMC public health · 2025Article
- How Many Lymph Nodes are Enough in Thyroidectomy? A Cohort Study Based on Real-World Data.Annals of surgical oncology · 2025Article
- Multimodal ultrasound radiomics containing microflow images for the prediction of central lymph node metastasis in papillary thyroid carcinoma.Frontiers in oncology · 2025Article
- Characteristics and survival of adults with differentiated thyroid cancer in a Peruvian hospital.Revista peruana de medicina experimental y salud publica · 2024Article
- Nomogram for predicting the risk of central lymph node metastasis in papillary thyroid microcarcinoma: a combination of sonographic findings and clinical factors.Gland surgery · 2024Article
- Review
- Modern Surgical Techniques of Thyroidectomy and Advances in the Prevention and Treatment of Perioperative Complications.Cancers · 2023Review
- Clinical Value of Ultrasonography and Serum Markers in Preoperative N Staging of Thyroid Cancer.Cells · 2022Article
- Identification of KIT and BRAF mutations in thyroid tissue using next-generation sequencing in an Ecuadorian patient: A case report.Frontiers in oncology · 2022Article
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Authors and funding
12 authors at 7 institutions in 4 countries.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
backgroundIn contrast to the rapid increase in thyroid cancer incidence, the mortality has remained low and stable over the last decades. In Ecuador, however, thyroid cancer mortality has increased. The objective of this study is to determine possible drivers of high rates of thyroid cancer mortality, through a cross-sectional analysis of all patients attending a thyroid cancer referral center in Ecuador.
methodsFrom June 2014 to December 2017, a cross-sectional study was conducted at the Hospital de Especialidades Eugenio Espejo, a regional reference public hospital for endocrine neoplasia in adults in Quito, Ecuador. We identified the mechanism of detection, histopathology and treatment modalities from a patient interview and review of clinical records.
resultsAmong 452 patients, 74.8% were young adults and 94.2% (426) were female. 13.7% had a family history of thyroid cancer, and patients' median tumor size was 2 cm. The incidental finding was 54.2% whereas 45.8% was non-incidental. Thyroid cancer histology reported that 93.3% had papillary thyroid cancer (PTC), 2.7% follicular, 1.5% Hurtle cells, 1.6% medullary, 0.7% poor differentiated, and 0.2% anaplastic carcinoma. The mean MACIS (metastasis, age, completeness, invasion, and size) score was 4.95 (CI 4.15-5.95) with 76.2% of the thyroid cancer patients having MACIS score less than or equal to 6. The very low and low risk of recurrence was 18.1% (79) and 62% (271) respectively. An analysis of 319 patients with non-metastatic thyroid cancer showed that 10.7% (34) of patients had surgical complications. Moreover, around 62.5% (80 from 128 patients with thyroglobulin laboratory results) of TC patients had a stimulated-thyroglobulin value equal or higher than 2 ng/ml. Overall, a poor surgical outcome was present in 35.1% (112) patients. Out of 436 patients with differentiated thyroid carcinoma, 86% (375) received radioactive iodine.
conclusionThyroid cancer histological characteristics and method of diagnosis are like those described in other reports without any evidence of the high frequency of aggressive thyroid cancer histology. However, we observed evidence of overtreatment and poor surgical outcomes that demand additional studies to understand their association with thyroid cancer mortality in Ecuador.
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