The following is a summary of “Tumor Size as a Predictive Indicator for Lymph Node Metastasis in Papillary Thyroid Carcinoma: An Inverted L-Shaped Curve Analysis Based on the SEER Database,” published in the November 2024 issue of Endocrinology by Chen et al.      

People with papillary thyroid carcinoma (PTC) often experience the spread of cancer to their lymph nodes. Early-stage and smaller tumors are more likely to involve lymph node metastasis (LNM).  

Researchers conducted a retrospective study to examine tumor size as a predictor of LNM in people diagnosed with PTC.  

They analyzed 48,021 cases of PTC from the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) database (1992–2019). Statistical methods such as logistic regression, spline curve fitting, and interaction assessments were used. Factors such as tumor size, patient demographics, extrathyroidal extension (ETE), and distant metastases were included in the analysis.  

The results showed 48,021 individuals with PTC, with a median tumor size of 1.3 cm, and 12,365 individuals (25.75%) had LNM, with a median tumor size of 1.9. A significant nonlinear relationship was found between tumor size and the likelihood of LNM. Tumors smaller than 1.978 cm were associated with a significantly increased probability of LNM (OR = 2.363, 95% CI: 2.214–2.523). Tumors larger than this threshold showed minimal impact on LNM risk (OR = 1.031, 95% CI: 1.003–1.061).  

They concluded that tumor size was an essential predictor of LNM in people with PTC, showing a distinct inverse L-shaped relationship.  

Source: onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1111/cen.15168