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Cost Effectiveness of Routine Laryngoscopy in the Surgical Treatment of Differentiated Thyroid Cancer

Zanocco, Kyle; Kaltman, David J; Wu, James X; Fingeret, Abbey; Heller, Keith S; Lee, James A; Yeh, Michael W; Sosa, Julie Ann; Sturgeon, Cord
BACKGROUND:Some surgeons perform flexible fiberoptic laryngoscopy (FFL) in all patients prior to thyroid cancer operations. Given the low likelihood of recurrent laryngeal nerve (RLN) or aerodigestive invasion in clinically low-risk thyroid cancers, the value of routine FFL in this group is controversial. We hypothesized that routine preoperative FFL would not be cost effective in low-risk differentiated thyroid cancer (DTC). METHODS:A decision model was constructed comparing preoperative FFL versus surgery without FFL in a clinical stage T2 N0 DTC patient without voice symptoms. Total thyroidectomy and definitive hemithyroidectomy were both modeled as possible initial surgical approaches. Outcome probabilities and their corresponding utilities were estimated via literature review, and costs were estimated using Medicare reimbursement data. Sensitivity analysis was conducted to examine the uncertainty of cost, probability, and utility estimates in the model. RESULTS:When the initial surgical strategy was total thyroidectomy, routine preoperative FFL produced an incremental cost of $183 and an incremental effectiveness of 0.000126 quality-adjusted life-years (QALYs). The incremental cost-effectiveness ratio (ICER) for routine FFL prior to total thyroidectomy was $1.45 million/QALY, exceeding the $100,000/QALY threshold for cost effectiveness. Routine FFL became cost effective if the preoperative probability of asymptomatic vocal cord paralysis increased from 1.0% to 4.9%, or if the cost of preoperative FFL decreased from $128 to $27. Changing the extent of initial surgery to hemithyroidectomy produced a higher ICER for routine FFL of $1.7 million/QALY. CONCLUSION/CONCLUSIONS:Routine preoperative FFL is not cost effective in asymptomatic patients with sonographically low-risk DTC, regardless of the initial planned extent of surgery.
PMID: 29417402
ISSN: 1534-4681
CID: 2948232

Thyroid cancer is more likely to be detected incidentally on imaging in private hospital patients

Zagzag, Jonathan; Kenigsberg, Alexander; Patel, Kepal N; Heller, Keith S; Ogilvie, Jennifer B
BACKGROUND: The incidence of well-differentiated thyroid cancer (WDTC) is increasing. Patients with higher socioeconomic status have higher rates of WDTC, possibly due to increased imaging and overdiagnosis. We compared methods of WDTC diagnosis in patients treated at a public and an adjacent private university hospital. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Patients with WDTC at the two hospitals between 2004 and 2010 were included. Patients were categorized into having their WDTC discovered on physical examination or on unrelated imaging. Demographic and pathologic data were collected. T-test was used for quantitative variables, and chi-squared test was used for categorical values. Binomial logistic regression was used to asses for confounding. RESULTS: Among 473 patients, 402 (85%) were from the university hospital, and 71 (15%) were from the public hospital. Patients from the university hospital were older (mean age: 49 versus 44, P = 0.02) and had a different racial composition compared to those from the public hospital. The patients at the public hospital had larger tumors (23 versus 18 mm, P = 0.04). Patients from the university hospital were more likely to have WDTC detected by imaging than patients in the public hospital (46% versus 28%, P < 0.01) on univariate analysis. CONCLUSIONS: This study demonstrates that patients with WDTC treated at a university hospital are more likely to have their tumor detected on unrelated imaging than those treated at a public hospital. These data may support the hypothesis that patients with improved insurance are more likely to have WDTC detected by imaging.
PMID: 28688654
ISSN: 1095-8673
CID: 2630142

NON-INVASIVE FOLLICULAR TUMOR WITH PAPILLARY-LIKE NUCLEAR FEATURES (NIFTP): NOT A TEMPEST IN A TEAPOT

Agrawal, Nidhi; Abbott, Collette E; Liu, Cheng; Kang, Stella; Tipton, Laura; Patel, Kepal; Persky, Mark; King, Lizabeth; Deng, Fang-Ming; Bannan, Michael; Ogilvie, Jennifer B; Heller, Keith; Hodak, Steven P
BACKGROUND: Encapsulated non-invasive follicular variant papillary thyroid cancer (ENIFVPTC) has recently been re-termed noninvasive follicular thyroid neoplasm with papillary-like nuclear features (NIFTP). This designation specifically omits the word "cancer" to encourage conservative management since patients with NIFTP tumors have been shown to derive no benefit from completion thyroidectomy or adjuvant radioactive iodine (RAI) therapy. METHODS: IRB approved retrospective study of consecutive cases of tumors from 2007 to 2015 that met pathologic criteria for NIFTP. The Conservative Management (CM) group included patients managed with lobectomy alone or appropriately indicated total thyroidectomy. Those included in the Aggressive Management (AM) group received either completion thyroidectomy or radioactive iodine or both. RESULTS: From 100 consecutive cases of ENIFVPTC reviewed, 40 NIFTP were included for the final analysis. Of these, 10 (27%) patients treated with initial lobectomy received completion thyroidectomy and 6 of 37 (16%) also received post-surgical adjuvant RAI. The mean per-patient cost of care in the AM group was $17629+/-2865 nearly twice the $8637+/- 309 costs in the CM group, and was largely driven by the cost of completion thyroidectomy and RAI. CONCLUSIONS: The term NIFTP has been recently promulgated to identify a type of thyroid neoplasm, formerly identified as a low-grade cancer, for which initial surgery represents adequate treatment. We believe that since the new NIFTP nomenclature intentionally omits the word "cancer" the clinical indolence of these tumors will be better appreciated, and cost savings will result from a more conservative and appropriate clinical management.
PMID: 28095037
ISSN: 1530-891x
CID: 2413802

Method of Detection of Well-Differentiated Thyroid Cancers in Obese and Non-Obese Patients

Zagzag, Jonathan; Malone, Michael K; Lopresti, Melissa A; Ogilvie, Jennifer B; Patel, Kepal N; Heller, Keith S
BACKGROUND: The incidence of well-differentiated thyroid cancer (WDTC) is increasing rapidly. Many authors feel that this increase is due to over-diagnosis and that one of the contributing factors is the increasing use of various imaging studies. The rate of obesity has also been increasing in the United States. It has been suggested that patients with an increased body mass index (BMI kg/m2) have a higher incidence of WDTC than patients with normal BMI. One might hypothesize that thyroid nodules are more difficult to palpate in obese patients and that as more cancers are detected by imaging the apparent rate of increase in WDTC in obese patients would appear to be greater than in non-obese patients. This study was undertaken to evaluate this hypothesis by determining if there is any difference in the way thyroid cancers are initially detected in obese and non-obese patients. METHODS: The medical records of all 519 patients with a postoperative diagnosis of WDTC who underwent thyroidectomy at NYU Langone Medical Center from January 1, 2007 through August 31, 2010 by the three members of NYU Endocrine Surgery Associates were reviewed. Patients were divided into Non-obese (BMI<30 kg/m2) and Obese (BMI>/=30 kg/m2) groups. Patients were also divided by the initial method of detection of their tumor into Palpation, Imaging, and Incidental groups. RESULTS: The final study group contained 270 patients, 181(67%) of whom were in the Non-obese Group and 89(33%) were in the Obese Group. In the Non-obese group, 81(45%) of tumors were found by palpation, 72(40%) were found by imaging, and 28(16%) were found incidentally. In the Obese group, 40(45%) were found by palpation, 38(43%) were found by imaging, and 11(12%) were found incidentally. These differences were not statistically significant (p-value 0.769). CONCLUSION: We show that BMI does not play a role in the method of initial detection in patients with WDTC. This suggests that the prevalence of WDTC detected by imaging is not an artifact caused by an increasingly obese population and that any association of WDTC and obesity is not related to the way in which these tumors are detected.
PMCID:4820112
PMID: 27043928
ISSN: 1932-6203
CID: 2065482

Management of recurrent/persistent nodal disease in patients with differentiated thyroid cancer: a critical review of the risks and benefits of surgical intervention versus active surveillance

Tufano, Ralph P; Clayman, Gary; Heller, Keith S; Inabnet, William B; Kebebew, Electron; Shaha, Ashok; Steward, David L; Tuttle, R Michael
BACKGROUND: The primary goals of this interdisciplinary consensus statement are to define the eligibility criteria for management of recurrent and persistent cervical nodal disease in patients with differentiated thyroid cancer (DTC) and to review the risks and benefits of surgical intervention versus active surveillance. METHODS: A writing group was convened by the Surgical Affairs Committee of the American Thyroid Association and was tasked with identifying the important clinical elements to consider when managing recurrent/persistent nodal disease in patients with DTC based on the available evidence in the literature and the group's collective experience. SUMMARY: The decision on how best to manage individual patients with suspected recurrent/persistent nodal disease is challenging and requires the consideration of a significant number of variables outlined by the members of the interdisciplinary team. Here we report on the consensus opinions that were reached by the writing group regarding the technical and clinical issues encountered in this patient population. CONCLUSIONS: Identification of recurrent/persistent disease requires a team decision-making process that includes the patient and physicians as to what, if any, intervention should be performed to best control the disease while minimizing morbidity. Several management principles and variables involved in the decision making for surgery versus active surveillance were developed that should be taken into account when deciding how best to manage a patient with DTC and suspected recurrent or persistent cervical nodal disease.
PMID: 25246079
ISSN: 1050-7256
CID: 1450552

Malignancy Rate in Thyroid Nodules Classified as Bethesda Category III (AUS/FLUS): Is There a Correct Answer?

Heller, Keith S
PMID: 24684214
ISSN: 1050-7256
CID: 1004832

Thyroid Cancers Detected by Imaging Are Not Necessarily Small or Early Stage

Malone, Michael K; Zagzag, Jonathan; Ogilvie, Jennifer B; Patel, Kepal N; Heller, Keith S
Background: The incidence of well-differentiated thyroid cancer (WDTC) in the United States is increasing rapidly. Much of this increase is due to the detection by imaging of small, nonpalpable tumors. The incidence of advanced WDTC is also increasing, suggesting a true increase in the incidence of WDTC. This study was performed to determine how WDTCs of all sizes and stages are initially detected. Methods: A retrospective chart review of 519 patients who underwent surgery for WDTC from January 1, 2007, through August 31, 2010, was performed. A total of 473 patients suitable for inclusion in this study were divided into three groups based upon the method by which the tumor was initially detected: tumors detected by an imaging study (184 patients-39%), those detected because a mass was felt in the neck (218 patients-46%), and those detected incidentally on pathological study of the surgical specimen (71 patients-15%). Method of detection was correlated with age and sex of the patient, and size, stage, and nodal status of the tumor. Results: Patients in the Palpation group were more likely to be female (79% vs. 67% vs. 74%), younger (46 vs. 51 vs. 52), and to have larger tumors than those in the Imaging or Incidental groups. In the Imaging group, the tumor was detected on thyroid sonogram in 98 (53%), computed tomography in 38 (21%), magnetic resonance imaging in 19 (10%), carotid duplex scan in 14 (8%), and positron-emission tomography or other imaging studies in 15 (8%). Thirty-three percent of tumors <1 cm, 51% 1-2 cm, 29% 2-4 cm, and 38% >4 cm were first detected on an imaging study. Forty-seven percent of Stage III and IV cancers in patients aged >/=45 years and 39% of patients with positive central nodes were in the Imaging group. Conclusion: This study demonstrates that while most tumors discovered by imaging were small and early stage, almost half of advanced (Stage III and IV) WDTCs were initially discovered by imaging studies. These findings are consistent with the hypothesis that the frequent use of imaging studies may explain not only the increasing incidence of early WDTC, but more advanced thyroid cancers as well.
PMID: 23819462
ISSN: 1050-7256
CID: 629902

Use of intraoperative parathyroid hormone assay

Chapter by: Heller, KS
in: Minimally Invasive and Robotic Thyroid and Parathyroid Surgery by
pp. 125-130
ISBN: 9781461490111
CID: 2169162

A new tool: The same dilemma [Editorial]

Heller, Keith S
PMID: 24238041
ISSN: 0039-6060
CID: 641642

Clinical utility of immunohistochemistry for the detection of the BRAF v600e mutation in papillary thyroid carcinoma

Zagzag, Jonathan; Pollack, Aron; Dultz, Linda; Dhar, Shumon; Ogilvie, Jennifer B; Heller, Keith S; Deng, Fang-Ming; Patel, Kepal N
BACKGROUND: BRAF V600E mutation is the most common genetic alteration in papillary thyroid cancer (PTC). We used a mutation-specific antibody for immunohistochemical (IHC) detection of the BRAF V600E mutation and correlated expression with clinicopathologic features. The study was designed to validate the accuracy and determine the clinical importance of IHC detection of the BRAF V600E mutation in PTC. METHODS: Direct sequencing and IHC for BRAF V600E mutation was performed in 37 consecutive patients with PTCs. IHC was scored on an intensity proportion scale. IHC positive tumors were stratified into intensity categories. The categories were assessed for clinicopathologic variables, including age, extrathyroidal extension, lymphovascular invasion, and lymph node metastases. RESULTS: A total of 25 PTCs were BRAF V600E-positive and 12 were BRAF mutation-negative on IHC. The BRAF V600E mutation-specific antibody had a sensitivity of 89% and specificity of 100% for detecting the mutation. Tumors with high-intensity staining were more likely to have extrathyroidal extension. CONCLUSION: IHC is an accurate method for the detection of the BRAF V600E mutation in PTC, and its ability to quantify the mutation expression may serve as a better predictor of tumor behavior than molecular sequencing. It provides a potentially rapid, easily applicable, and economic alternative to current techniques.
PMCID:4100700
PMID: 23931769
ISSN: 0039-6060
CID: 629892