Prophylactic Central Lymph Node Dissection in Papillary Thyroid Microcarcinoma
Prophylactic Central Lymph Node Dissection in Papillary Thyroid Microcarcinoma
The purpose of this study is to determine whether the prophylactic ipsilateral central lymph
 node dissection is equally effective in the management of papillary thyroid
 microcarcinoma(PTMC) to the bilateral central lymph node dissection.
The extent, the advantage and disadvantage of prophylactic central lymph node dissection was
 not fully established up to now in papillary thyroid microcarcinoma.

 Prophylactic bilateral central lymph node dissection can give a important clinical
 information about the status of lymph nodes, and possibly guide a further adjuvant treatment.
 However, it causes high postoperative morbidity, including hypocalcemia and hoarseness. In
 this respect, some advocate no central lymph node dissection in prophylactic settings.

 Thus, we aimed to prove the efficacy of prophylactic ipsilateral central lymph node
 dissection in thyroid papillary microcarcinoma, compared to the bilateral dissection and no
 dissection.

 Type of Study design: Prospective randomized, controlled double-blinded (to subjects and
 observers) study.

 Group I: Limited/ipsilateral central lymph node dissection (UniCND) Group II:
 Comprehensive/bilateral central lymph node dissection (BiCND) Group III: No central lymph
 node dissection (NoCND)

 Outcomes: vocal cord palsy, hypocalcemia, locoregional recurrence, distant metastasis
Inclusion Criteria:

 -  Age: 18 to 70

 -  Sonographically node-negative cytology confirmed thyroid papillary carcinoma

 -  Tumor size less than 1 cm in sonography

 -  Tumor confined to the one lobe of the thyroid gland

 -  One who provides the informed consent

 Exclusion Criteria:

 -  History of radiation treatment to head and neck area

 -  History of other malignancy except thyroid cancer

 -  Poor performance status (ECOG 3-4)