Survival rate between total thyroidectomy and lobectomy in papillary thyroid cancer

Abstract

Background Regarding papillary thyroid cancer, comparisons between lobectomy (LT) and total thyroidectomy (TT) have not addressed major risks to reliable conclusions drawn from observational data. This research aimed to evaluate the survival rate following thyroidectomy (TT) and LT for papillary thyroid carcinoma. Methods A total of 155 patients with papillary thyroid cancer who had LT or TT at Menoufia University Hospitals between January 2018 and April 2023 were included in this retrospective cohort analysis. Overall survival was the main result, which was assessed using inverse probability weighting on the propensity score and flexible parametric survival models. Results Of the patients receiving treatment, 78% were female and the median age was 48 (range: 37–59). There were no statistically significant differences in the 5-year overall survival between individuals who underwent a complete thyroidectomy or LT. Furthermore, we did not find any statistically significant variation in survival by subgroups, such as age (<65 or ≥65), tumor size (<4 cm or ≥4 cm), or projected risk of death. Conclusion Based on our data, TT, independent of tumor size, patient age, or overall risk of mortality, is unlikely to provide a survival benefit over lobectomy.