Prognostic factors in children and adolescents with differentiated thyroid carcinoma treated with total thyroidectomy and RAI: a real-life multicentric study

Purpose: This multicentric study aimed to investigate the main prognostic factors associated with treatment response at 1 year after radioactive iodine therapy (RAIT) and the last disease status in pediatric patients affected by differentiated thyroid carcinoma (DTC). Materials and methods: In the period 1990–2020, all consecutive patients ≤ 18 years from six different centers were retrospectively included. Patients were classified as low, intermediate, and high risk for persistence/recurrence. The response to RAIT was evaluated and scored 1 year later according to 2015 ATA guidelines. Moreover, at the last follow-up, the disease status was evaluated and dichotomized as no evidence of disease (NED) or persistent disease. Results: Two hundred and eighty-five patients (197 female, 88 male; mean age 14.4 years) were recruited. All, except nine, underwent near-total thyroidectomy followed by RAIT. One-year after first RAIT, 146/276 (53%) patients had excellent response, 37/276 (14%) indeterminate response, and 91/276 (33%) incomplete response. One-year after RAIT, children with excellent response had significantly lower stimulated thyroglobulin (sTg) compared to not excellent group (median sTg 4.4 ng/ml vs 52.5 ng/ml, p < 0.001). ROC curve showed sTg higher than 27.2 ng/ml as the most accurate to predict 1-year treatment response. After a median follow-up of 133 months, NED was present in 241 cases (87%) while persistent disease in 35 (13%). At multivariate analysis, sTg and 1-year treatment response categories were both significantly associated with the last disease status (p value 0.023 and < 0.001). Conclusions: In pediatric DTC, sTg is significantly associated with 1-year treatment response and final outcome. However, 1-year response is the principal prognostic factor able to predict pediatric DTCs outcome.