SynthesisEuropean archives of oto-rhino-laryngology : official journal of the European Federation of Oto-Rhino-Laryngological Societies (EUFOS) : affiliated with the German Society for Oto-Rhino-Laryngology - Head and Neck Surgery2026
Efficacy and safety of radiofrequency ablation (RFA) for recurrent metastatic thyroid carcinoma to the lateral neck: a systematic review.
Synthesis in European archives of oto-rhino-laryngology : official journal of the European Federation of Oto-Rhino-Laryngological Societies (EUFOS) : affiliated with the German Society for Oto-Rhino-Laryngology - Head and Neck Surgery, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. An erratum has been issued. Not yet cited in PubMed.
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.
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.
Who cites it
0 citing papers in PubMed.
No citing paper in PubMed yet.
Corrections and comments
- Erratum issued
Authors and funding
7 authors.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
aimTo evaluate the efficacy and safety of radiofrequency ablation (RFA) for lateral cervical recurrence of metastatic thyroid carcinoma compared to revision surgery (after a primary thyroidectomy and selective neck dissection) and RFA in the central compartment or thyroid bed. This review focuses on studies that differentiate between lateral and central neck RFA, as lesion location might influence outcomes and complication rates.
methodsA systematic review was conducted using the PRISMA guidelines, looking at articles that address management of thyroid cancer recurrence in the lateral neck. Data on tumor volume reduction, thyroglobulin (Tg) levels, recurrence rates, and complications were analyzed.
resultsEight studies were include in this review. Across 252 patients treated with RFA, complete nodule disappearance was reported in up to 97% of cases, with therapeutic success rates ranging from 92 to 100%. Volume reduction rates (VRR) reached 93-100% at 24-60 months. Thyroglobulin levels consistently decreased post-treatment, with reductions from baseline values as high as 37 ng/mL to < 1 ng/mL. Recurrence-free survival was 90.8-96% at 1-3 years, and up to 94.5% at 6 years in long-term follow-up. Radiofrequency ablation demonstrated a favorable safety profile: transient voice changes occurred in 3.7-8.6% of patients, mainly in central lesions, with no reported cases of hypocalcemia. Surgery showed higher complication rates, including hypocalcemia (8.7-30%) and permanent voice changes. Comparative studies showed that while surgery may offer more frequent biochemical remission, RFA remains effective with fewer complications.
conclusionRFA is an effective, minimally invasive alternative for lateral cervical recurrence of thyroid cancer. Its high efficacy and superior safety profile make it a valuable option, particularly for patients avoiding revision surgery. Differentiating lateral and central RFA is important, as both show comparable efficacy, though central RFA has a higher complication risk.
Indexed as
Identifiers
What OpenQuestion holds
Registered trials
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.