The presence of large lymph node metastasis as a prognostic factor of papillary thyroid carcinoma

Objective: Papillary thyroid carcinomas often metastasize to regional lymph nodes, but the significance of lymph node metastasis as a prognostic factor has not been established. This study was conducted to determine the survival rate in patients with and without large lymph node metastasis greater than 3 cm in the maximum diameter, which are N2 or N3 for other head and neck cancers. Methods: The survival rate was determined by using Kaplan–Meier method in 67 patients with previously untreated papillary thyroid carcinoma who underwent radical surgery at the Department of Otolaryngology, Toyooka Hospital, between 1993 and 2000. Results: The prognosis was significantly poor (P=0.004) in patients with large lymph node metastasis greater than 3 cm in the maximum diameter. No significant difference was noted in the prevalence of large lymph node metastasis greater than 3 cm in the maximum diameter between different T groups. Conclusion: Large lymph node metastasis was considered to be a poor prognostic factor of papillary thyroid carcinoma independent of the T classification.