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  • Author: Laurence Leenhardt x
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Free access

Prospective evaluation of thyroid imaging reporting and data system on 4550 nodules with and without elastography

Gilles Russ, Bénédicte Royer, Claude Bigorgne, Agnès Rouxel, Marie Bienvenu-Perrard, and Laurence Leenhardt

Objective

To evaluate prospectively the diagnostic accuracy of the thyroid imaging reporting and data system (TI-RADS) and its interobserver agreement and to estimate the reduction of indications of fine-needle aspiration biopsies (FNABs).

Design

A prospective comparative study was designed.

Methods

In 2 years, 4550 nodules in 3543 patients were prospectively scored using a flowchart and a six-point scale and then submitted to US-FNAB. Results were read according to the Bethesda system. Histopathological results were available for 263 cases after surgery. Sensitivity, specificity, negative predictive value (NPV) and positive predictive value, and accuracy were calculated for the gray-scale score, elastography, and a combination of both methods. Interobserver agreement was calculated using the kappa statistic. The reduction in the number of FNABs was estimated.

Results

When compared with cytopathological results, sensitivity, specificity, NPV, and accuracy were 95.7, 61, 99.7, and 62% for the TI-RADS gray-scale score; 74.2, 91.1, 98, and 90% for elastography; and 98.5, 44.7, 99.8, and 48.3% for a combination of both methods respectively. When compared with histopathological results, the sensitivity of the gray-scale score, elastography, and a combination of both methods were 93.2, 41.9, and 96.7% respectively. Interobserver agreement for the six-point scale and the recommendation for biopsy were substantial (κ value=0.72 and 0.76 respectively). The reduction in the number of FNABs was estimated to be 33.8%.

Conclusion

The TI-RADS score has high sensitivity and NPV for the diagnosis of thyroid carcinoma. A hard nodule should always be considered as suspicious for malignancy but elastography cannot be used alone. Combination of elastography with gray-scale can be used to improve sensitivity or specificity. Interobserver agreement and decrease in unnecessary biopsies are significant.

Free access

Scoring system for predicting recurrences in patients with papillary thyroid microcarcinoma

Camille Buffet, Jean Louis Golmard, Catherine Hoang, Christophe Trésallet, Laurence Du Pasquier Fédiaevsky, Hélène Fierrard, André Aurengo, Fabrice Menegaux, and Laurence Leenhardt

Context

Papillary thyroid microcarcinomas (PMC) defined as tumors ≤10 mm in diameter (including pT1a and pT3 according to the latest pTNM classification) have good prognosis, although recurrence is possible. Clinicians are interested in using a scoring system for predicting recurrences.

Objective

To identify the prognostic factors for recurrence in patients with PMC and to develop a scoring system based on lymph node involvement, multifocality, and sex. To determine the impact of extrathyroidal invasion (ETI) and a threshold value for analyzing multifocality.

Methods

Single-center retrospective study of a cohort of 1669 patients with PMC managed from 1960 to 2007. The Kaplan–Meier survival rate and prognostic factors of events were analyzed using log-rank tests and uni- and multivariate Cox model-based analyses. A scoring system was proposed.

Results

Sixty-eight recurrences were observed. Initial lymph node metastases (P=0.0001), multifocality (P=0.05), and male sex (P=0.01) were significantly associated with recurrence, although there was a period effect (after 1990). PMC size was not a significant variable. Our scoring system allows us to separate patients into three risk groups according to their recurrence-free probability. For PMC Nx patients, total foci size of multifocal tumors >20 mm was significantly associated with recurrence (P<0.0001). Radioiodine (RAI) ablation was associated with better outcome only in PMC with ETI.

Conclusion

Our scoring system classifies recurrence risk. In PMC Nx patients, multifocality is important in planning therapeutic strategies. Recurrence probability of pT3 PMC appears lower if RAI ablation is performed.

Free access

Post-operative neck ultrasound and risk stratification in differentiated thyroid cancer patients with initial lymph node involvement

Charlotte Lepoutre-Lussey, Dina Maddah, Jean-Louis Golmard, Gilles Russ, Frédérique Tissier, Christophe Trésallet, Fabrice Menegaux, André Aurengo, and Laurence Leenhardt

Objective

Cervical ultrasound (US) scan is a key tool for detecting metastatic lymph nodes (N1) in patients with papillary thyroid cancer (PTC). N1-PTC patients are stratified as intermediate-risk and high-risk (HR) patients, according to the American Thyroid Association (ATA) and European Thyroid Association (ETA) respectively. The aim of this study was to assess the value of post-operative cervical US (POCUS) in local persistent disease (PD) diagnosis and in the reassessment of risk stratification in N1-PTC patients.

Design

Retrospective cohort study.

Methods

Between 1997 and 2010, 638 N1-PTC consecutive patients underwent a systematic POCUS. Sensitivity, specificity, negative predictive value (NPV), and positive predictive value (PPV) of POCUS for the detection of PD were evaluated and a risk reassessment using cumulative incidence functions was carried out.

Results

After a median follow-up of 41.6 months, local recurrence occurred in 138 patients (21.6%), of which 121 were considered to have PD. Sensitivity, specificity, NPV, and PPV of POCUS for the detection of the 121 PD were 82.6, 87.4 95.6, and 60.6% respectively. Cumulative incidence of recurrence at 5 years was estimated at 26% in ETA HR patients, 17% in ATA intermediate-risk patients, and 35% in ATA HR patients respectively. This risk fell to 9, 8, and 11% in the above three groups when the POCUS result was normal and to <6% when it was combined with thyroglobulin results at ablation.

Conclusion

POCUS is useful for detecting PD in N1-PTC patients and for stratifying individual recurrence risk. Its high NPV could allow clinicians to tailor follow-up recommendations to individual needs.

Open access

DIAGNOSIS OF ENDOCRINE DISEASE: Thyroglobulin measurement using highly sensitive assays in patients with differentiated thyroid cancer: a clinical position paper

Luca Giovanella, Penelope M Clark, Luca Chiovato, Leonidas Duntas, Rossella Elisei, Ulla Feldt-Rasmussen, Laurence Leenhardt, Markus Luster, Camilla Schalin-Jäntti, Matthias Schott, Ettore Seregni, Herald Rimmele, Jan Smit, and Frederik A Verburg

Differentiated thyroid cancer (DTC) is the most common endocrine cancer and its incidence has increased in recent decades. Initial treatment usually consists of total thyroidectomy followed by ablation of thyroid remnants by iodine-131. As thyroid cells are assumed to be the only source of thyroglobulin (Tg) in the human body, circulating Tg serves as a biochemical marker of persistent or recurrent disease in DTC follow-up. Currently, standard follow-up for DTC comprises Tg measurement and neck ultrasound combined, when indicated, with an additional radioiodine scan. Measurement of Tg after stimulation by endogenous or exogenous TSH is recommended by current clinical guidelines to detect occult disease with a maximum sensitivity due to the suboptimal sensitivity of older Tg assays. However, the development of new highly sensitive Tg assays with improved analytical sensitivity and precision at low concentrations now allows detection of very low Tg concentrations reflecting minimal amounts of thyroid tissue without the need for TSH stimulation. Use of these highly sensitive Tg assays has not yet been incorporated into clinical guidelines but they will, we believe, be used by physicians caring for patients with DTC. The aim of this clinical position paper is, therefore, to offer advice on the various aspects and implications of using these highly sensitive Tg assays in the clinical care of patients with DTC.

Restricted access

Detection of BRAFV600E by digital PCR on fine-needle aspirate enables rapid initiation of dabrafenib and trametinib in unresectable anaplastic thyroid carcinoma

Camille Buffet, Lucie Allard, Erell Guillerm, Cécile Ghander, Elise Mathy, Charlotte Lussey-Lepoutre, Nicolas Julien, Eliane Touma, Pauline Quilhot, Gaelle Godiris-Petit, Jean-Marc Lacorte, Laurence Leenhardt, and Jérôme Alexandre Denis

Introduction

Recently, targeted therapies using BRAF V600E and MEK inhibitors (dabrafenib and trametinib, respectively) have been recommended in BRAF-mutated anaplastic thyroid carcinoma (ATC). Considering the fast development of ATC, droplet digital PCR (ddPCR) performed on fine-needle aspirate (FNA), which is a rapid, reliable, and low-cost method, appears interesting for the detection of BRAF V600E mutation in these patients and allows early initiation of targeted therapies.

Results

In our two patients, both presenting extensive cervical masses inaccessible to surgery, ddPCR results were available in less than 24 h. Therefore, dabrafenib and trametinib were started only a few days after first contact.

Conclusions

We suggest that ddPCR on FNA be used in non-resectable cervical masses for rapid BRAF V600E mutation detection in the hope that starting targeted therapies early might improve outcomes.