This is a multicenter randomized controlled trial including patients with small (\<2 cm) suspected or confirmed thyroid cancers. Patients are included after informed consent and randomized to one of two treatments. One treatment is a standard henithyroidectomy and the second treatment is radiofrequency ablation (RFA) of the specific tumor. The investigators will evaluate initial outcome of the allocated treatment, thyroid hormonal function, oncologic safety, quality of life, and treatment costs in a follow-up period of five years after treatment. The overall aim of the study is to improve patient's health by reducing the number of operations on small thyroid cancers. In patients with these small tumors, the long-term adverse outcome may be higher than possible benefits from the operation. For participants undergoing surgical treatment with HT, the investigators will measure final histology and both beneficial and adverse outcome from the operation. For participants undergoing RFA, the investigators expect to reduce the need for thyroid hormonal substitutions, reduce the surgical adverse outcomes, reduce treatment costs and increase QoL without a reduction in oncologic safety and outcome.
Study Type
INTERVENTIONAL
Allocation
RANDOMIZED
Purpose
TREATMENT
Masking
SINGLE
Enrollment
88
RFA of a cancer in the thyroid gland.
Hemithyroidectomy of the thyroid lobe with cancer
Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Aarhus University Hospital
Aarhus, Denmark
RECRUITINGUncomplicated initial treatment (yes/no)
Uncomplicated treatment is defined as a composite endpoint (dichotomous; yes/no) with none of the following adverse outcomes within the first month after treatment/surgery: 1. short or long-term affection of the recurrent laryngeal nerve (RLN) based on laryngoscopy, 2. infection with a need for surgical treatment, 3. capsule rupture or bleeding with a need for operation, 4. prolonged hospital stay (more than one night), 5. any other reason for a secondary surgical intervention on the neck.
Time frame: One month after randomization.
Oncologic
Any oncologic events with either recurrence of disease in the thyroid gland or lymph node metastasis are included (dichotomous; yes/no). Developing disease in the contralateral side of the thyroid gland will also be described and evaluated and possibly treated. However, contralateral disease will not be classified as adverse outcome after initial treatment but rather classified as new disease (dichotomous; yes/no).
Time frame: 5 years after randomization.
Endocrinological 1
The need for substitutional treatment with thyroid hormones (dichotomous; yes/no) is included as secondary endpoint.
Time frame: At three months, 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5 years after randomization.
Patient-reported outcome 1
A patient reported outcome is collected with use of the thyroid specific questionnaire ThyPRO-39 (continuous outcome).
Time frame: At randomization (baseline), and at three months, 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5 years after randomization.
Health economics
Collective costs for treatment with a HT operation in general anesthesia and an in-hospital stay is much more expensive than RFA treatment in the outpatient clinic. The relation between total costs for HT versus RFA are close to 5:1 and all treatment related costs will be collected during the trial.
Time frame: At 5 years after randomization.
Patient-reported outcome 2
A patient reported outcome is collected with use of the thyroid specific questionnaire Voice Related QoL (V-RQoL) (continuous outcome).
Time frame: At randomization (baseline), and at three months, 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5 years after randomization.
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