Evidence map›Paper›PMID 40891104›Full record

ArticleHead & neck2026

Management of Retropharyngeal Lymph Node Metastases in Thyroid Cancer.

Isabelle Fournier, Ashwini Venkata Bandi, Sarah Hamidi, Priyanka Iyer, Naifa L Busaidy, Maria E Cabanillas, Ramona Dadu, Mimi I Hu, Steven G Waguespack, Ugur Nur Basmaci and 10 more

Abstract read
PubMed Full text at PMC Publisher
In one paragraph

Article in Head & neck, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 1 paper.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
1citing 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

1 citing paper in PubMed.

  1. 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

20 authors.

Isabelle FournierDepartment of Head & Neck Surgery, University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas, USA.
Ashwini Venkata BandiDepartment of Head & Neck Surgery, University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas, USA.
Sarah HamidiDepartment of Endocrine Neoplasia and Hormonal Disorders, University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas, USA.ORCID 0000-0002-1528-9885
Priyanka IyerDepartment of Endocrine Neoplasia and Hormonal Disorders, University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas, USA.
Naifa L BusaidyDepartment of Endocrine Neoplasia and Hormonal Disorders, University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas, USA.
Maria E CabanillasDepartment of Endocrine Neoplasia and Hormonal Disorders, University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas, USA.
Ramona DaduDepartment of Endocrine Neoplasia and Hormonal Disorders, University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas, USA.
Mimi I HuDepartment of Endocrine Neoplasia and Hormonal Disorders, University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas, USA.ORCID 0000-0003-0355-030X
Steven G WaguespackDepartment of Endocrine Neoplasia and Hormonal Disorders, University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas, USA.ORCID 0000-0003-0280-0100
Ugur Nur BasmaciDepartment of Head & Neck Surgery, University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas, USA.
Michelle D WilliamsDepartment of Anatomical Pathology, University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas, USA.
Mena MansourDepartment of Anatomical Pathology, University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas, USA.
Maria Gule MonroeDepartment of Neuroradiology, University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas, USA.
Neil D GrossDepartment of Head & Neck Surgery, University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas, USA.
Ryan P GoepfertDepartment of Head & Neck Surgery, University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas, USA.
Nancy D PerrierDepartment of Surgical Oncology, University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas, USA.
Victoria BanuchiDepartment of Head & Neck Surgery, University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas, USA.
Jennifer R WangDepartment of Head & Neck Surgery, University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas, USA.
Anastasios ManiakasDepartment of Head & Neck Surgery, University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas, USA.ORCID 0000-0002-4354-2841
Mark E ZafereoDepartment of Head & Neck Surgery, University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas, USA.ORCID 0000-0001-7918-9739

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundRetropharyngeal lymph node (RPLN) metastases in thyroid cancer are rare, with optimal management underreported.

methodsRetrospective study of consecutive thyroid cancer patients with RPLN metastases treated at MD Anderson Cancer Center between 2000 and 2024.

resultsOne hundred and sixty-seven patients (75% differentiated, 21% medullary, 4% poorly differentiated thyroid cancer) were divided into three groups: active surveillance (AS) (13%), surgery (56%), and nonsurgical treatment (31%). In the AS group (median follow-up 2.3 years), RPLN metastases grew a median 3% (range: 0-56) or 0.02 cm (range: 0-0.7) per year. Surgical therapy included transcervical (73%), transoral robotic (14%), transoral (12%), and transmandibular (1%) approaches. Median RPLN metastasis size was 1.7 cm (interquartile range: 1.3-2.2) at surgery. Three months post-operatively, 11% had dysphagia and 1% had velopharyngeal insufficiency. Nonsurgical treatments included radioactive iodine (10%), radiation therapy (11%), and systemic targeted therapy (79%).

conclusionRPLN metastases grow slowly, and those ≥ 1 cm typically undergo surgical resection without significant long-term morbidity.

Indexed as

Thyroid NeoplasmsAdultAgedFemaleHumansLymphatic MetastasisLymph NodesMaleMiddle AgedRetrospective StudiesThyroidectomymedullarypapillaryretropharyngeal lymph node metastasessurgerythyroid cancer

Identifiers

PMID40891104
PMCPMC12703554

What OpenQuestion holds

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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.