Thyroid Carcinoma in Children and Adolescents—Systematic Review of the Literature
2011

Thyroid Cancer in Children and Adolescents: A Systematic Review

Sample size: 741 publication 10 minutes Evidence: moderate

Author Information

Author(s): Fernanda Vaisman, Rossana Corbo, Vaisman Mario

Primary Institution: Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro

Hypothesis

Understanding the differences in the biology, clinical course, and outcomes of thyroid cancer in children and adolescents is crucial for therapeutic decisions.

Conclusion

Despite a higher recurrence rate, children with differentiated thyroid cancer generally have a very good overall survival rate.

Supporting Evidence

  • Thyroid cancer is responsible for 1.5–3% of all carcinomas in children and adolescents.
  • Children have a four times greater risk of malignancy when a thyroid nodule is diagnosed compared to adults.
  • Overall survival rates for pediatric thyroid cancer patients are very high, with a 99.3% survival rate in 5 years.

Takeaway

Kids can get thyroid cancer, but even though it comes back more often, they usually do really well after treatment.

Methodology

This systematic review evaluates the biology, clinical presentation, recurrences, and overall survival of differentiated thyroid cancer in children and adolescents.

Potential Biases

Potential biases may arise from the reliance on existing literature and the variability in treatment approaches across different studies.

Limitations

The study highlights the need for more large multicenter studies to better understand optimal treatment approaches for this unique population.

Participant Demographics

The study includes children and adolescents diagnosed with differentiated thyroid cancer, with a noted higher incidence in girls.

Statistical Information

P-Value

0.0001

Statistical Significance

p<0.05

Digital Object Identifier (DOI)

10.4061/2011/845362

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