Radiofrequency ablation for solitary T1N0M0 papillary thyroid carcinoma in the danger triangle area: a preliminary analysis

Figures & data

Figure 1. Research flowchart. RFA, radiofrequency ablation.

Figure 2. A schematic diagram illustrating the location of the nodules abutted to the capsule.

Figure 3. Electrode in vitro test thermal field maps and sufficient tracheal-paratracheal fluid isolation demonstration.

Figure 4. A 46-year-old woman with papillary thyroid cancer in the ‘danger triangle’ of the thyroid was treated with radiofrequency ablation (RFA).

Table 1. Demographic characteristics of patients with PTC in the danger triangle area.

Variables	Total
Age (years)	44.45 ± 13.081
Sex
Male	21(22.3%)
Female	73(77.7%)
Tumor location
Right lobe	53 (56.4%)
Left lobe	41 (43.6%)
Follow-up (months)^a	29.06 ± 7.77
Ablation time (s)	151.87 ± 75.32
Isolation belt depth (cm)	0.69 ± 0.15
Tumor stage
T1a	80 (85.1%)
Tib	14 (14.9%)
BRAF V600E mutation
Positive	84 (89.4%)
Negative	10 (10.6%)
Pre-ablation maximum diameter	0.73 ± 0.34
T1a	0.61 ± 0.17
T1b	1.37 ± 0.36
Pre-ablation volume (ml)	0.18 ± 0.27
T1a	0.101 ± 0.084
T1b	0.67 ± 0.42
Relationship with thyroid capsule
Abutted	78 (83%)
Adjacent	16(17%)

Figure 5. Graph shows Kaplan-Meier curves for tumor disappearance rate in T1a and T1b groups.

Figure 6. Change in mean volume and volume reduction rate (VRR) at each follow-up time point.

Table 2. Indicators of thyroid function before RFA and after RFA.

	T3	T4	TSH	TGAb
Before RFA	4.51 ± 0.67	17.28 ± 2.44	2.33 ± 5.10	40.45 ± 98.30
1month after RFA	4.30 ± 0.62	17.62 ± 3.11	2.36 ± 4.96	42.64 ± 103.42
t/z	1.508	−0.839	−0.059	−0.149
p	0.133	0.403	0.953	0.882

RFA: radiofrequency ablation; p < 0.05 was considered statistically significant between the two groups.

Table 3. Tumor size before RFA and at each follow-up time-point after RFA.

Follow-up time	Maximum diameter (cm)	<0.001	Volume (ml)	p-value	Mean volume reduction rate	p-value
Before RFA	0.71 ± 0.34	NA	0.18 ± 0.27	NA	NA	NA
After RFA
1-month	0.97 ± 0.38	<0.001	0.54 ± 0.83	<0.001	−2.11 ± 0.76	NA
3-month	0.91 ± 0.39	<0.001	0.23 ± 0.19	<0.001	−1.12 ± 0.42	<0.001
6-month	0.64 ± 0.30	0.053	0.12 ± 0.16	0.007	0.31 ± 0.29	<0.001
12-month	0.44 ± 0.24	<0.001	0.04 ± 0.06	<0.001	0.74 ± 0.22	<0.001
18-month	0.28 ± 0.21	<0.001	0.01 ± 0.03	<0.001	0.91 ± 0.09	<0.001
24-month	0.22 ± 0.21	<0.001	0.013 ± 0.032	<0.001	0.94 ± 0.18	<0.001
30-month	0.14 ± 0.17	<0.001	0.005 ± 0.013	<0.001	0.98 ± 0.04	<0.001
36-month	0.06 ± 0.12	<0.001	0.001 ± 0.005	<0.001	0.99 ± 0.01	<0.001

RFA: radiofrequency ablation; p < 0.05 was considered statistically significant between the two groups.

Data availability statement

The datasets used and/or analyzed in the current study are available from the corresponding author upon reasonable request. Please contact the corresponding author ([email protected]).