Evidence map›Paper›PMID 39777353›Full record

SynthesisFrontiers in oncology2024

The role of preoperative serum thyroglobulin in the diagnosis and treatment of differentiated thyroid cancer: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

Ying Lu, Hao Zhao, ChunHao Liu, ZiFeng Kuang, XiaoYi Li

Abstract readSystematic Review
In one paragraph

Synthesis in Frontiers in oncology, 2024. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 6 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
6citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
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

6 citing papers in PubMed.

  1. Article
  2. Association of Anti-TPO Antibody and Inflammatory Markers with Thyroid Ultrasound FindingsEndocrine, metabolic & immune disorders drug targets · 2026
    Article
  3. Article
  4. Article
  5. Article
  6. Review
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.

Ying LuDepartment of General Surgery, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences & Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, China.
Hao ZhaoSurgery Centre of Diabetes Mellitus, Beijing Shi ji tan Hospital Capital Medical University, Beijing, China.
ChunHao LiuDepartment of General Surgery, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences & Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, China.
ZiFeng KuangDepartment of General Surgery, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences & Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, China.
XiaoYi LiDepartment of General Surgery, Peking Union Medical College Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences & Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, China.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Background: Serum thyroglobulin (Tg) is a critical marker for monitoring tumor recurrence and metastasis in patients who have undergone total thyroidectomy for differentiated thyroid cancer (DTC). While the definitive role of preoperative serum Tg in DTC is not yet established, studies suggest its importance in differentiating between benign and malignant thyroid nodules with indeterminate cytology, as well as in predicting distant metastasis (DM) in patients with DTC. Methods: A thorough literature review was conducted on the use of preoperative serum Tg in differentiating between benign and malignant thyroid nodules, and in evaluating the extent of DTC lesions. Relevant studies were systematically searched in PubMed, Embase, Cochrane, Scopus, and ClinicalTrials databases. A meta-analysis was performed on studies where the ratios between serum Tg diagnostic thresholds and the upper limit of the reference range were similar. Results: Recent studies showed significantly elevated preoperative serum Tg levels in patients with DTC compared with normal individuals. However, there are inconsistencies in the serum Tg levels between patients with preoperative DTC and benign thyroid nodules across different studies. In patients with thyroid nodules who had indeterminate cytology (negative Tg antibody), the preoperative serum Tg levels were significantly higher in malignant nodules than in benign ones (meta-analysis: odds ratio: 2.59, 95% confidence intervals: 1.59-4.21, P = 0.0001). Although the meta-analysis indicated that high preoperative serum Tg is a risk factor for central lymph node metastasis in patients with DTC (meta-analysis: odds ratio: 1.68, 95% confidence interval: 1.32-2.14, P < 0.0001), some studies suggest that high preoperative serum Tg in patients with DTC does not necessarily lead to central lymph node metastasis. Furthermore, preoperative serum Tg might possess a suggestive value regarding the likelihood of DTC patients developing DM. Conclusion: Preoperative serum Tg shows promise in differentiating between benign and malignant nodules in thyroid nodule patients with indeterminate cytology. However, further research is necessary to determine its predictive significance for lymph node metastasis and DM in patients with DTC. Systematic review registration: https://www.crd.york.ac.uk/PROSPERO/#searchadvanced, identifier CRD42024472074.

Indexed as

benign and malignant nodule differentiationdifferentiated thyroid cancerdistant metastasislymph node metastasispreoperativeserum thyroglobulin

Identifiers

PMID39777353
PMCPMC11703863

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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.