Abstract
Purpose
To evaluate the safety and efficacy of ultrasound-guided low-power microwave ablation (MWA) for the treatment of papillary thyroid microcarcinoma (PTMC) with a 3-year follow-up.
Methods
A total of 21 nodules diagnosed as PTMC from the 15 patients were performed with MWA at a power of 20 W. The images of the nodules were recorded by ultrasound before MWA and 1, 3, 6, 12 months after MWA, and every 6 months thereafter, respectively. The volumes of the nodules were compared before MWA and at each follow-up point after MWA. The volume reduction rate (VRR) of nodules was also calculated.
Results
The mean volume of the nodules was 134.3 ± 129.8 mm3 initially (the range was 7.4–423.8 mm3), which decreased significantly to 2.3 ± 10.5 mm3 (the range was 0–48.1 mm3) of the ablation area (P = 0.000) at the follow-up point of 36 months with a mean VRR as 98.78 ± 5.61% (the range was 74.28–100%). During the follow-up period (the range was 36–48 months), 20 of the 21 nodules were completely absorbed and no recurrent nodule was found.
Conclusions
After a long-term follow-up of 3 years, the low power MWA showed a good safety and efficacy for the treatment of PTMC. In addition to surgery and active surveillance, MWA might be another alternative for patients with PTMC.
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Acknowledgements
This study was funded by the Finance Department of Jilin Province (no. SCZSY201701) and the Jilin Provincial Health and Family Planning Commission (no. 2016ZC032).
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The studies have been approved by the appropriate institutional research ethics committee and have been performed in accordance with the ethical standards as laid down in the 1964 Declaration of Helsinki and its later amendments or comparable ethical standards. This manuscript does not contain any studies with animals by any of the authors.
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Teng, D., Sui, G., Liu, C. et al. Long-term efficacy of ultrasound-guided low power microwave ablation for the treatment of primary papillary thyroid microcarcinoma: a 3-year follow-up study. J Cancer Res Clin Oncol 144, 771–779 (2018). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00432-018-2607-7
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00432-018-2607-7