The role of adjuvant radiation therapy for locoregionally recurrent papillary thyroid carcinoma

Objectives: To evaluate the role of adjuvant radiation therapy in patients with locoregionally recurrent (rpT4/N1b) papillary thyroid carcinoma (PTC). Methods: The medical records of patients with rpT4/ N1b PTC who were treated between January 2001 and December 2016 were reviewed. A total of 57 patients were analyzed, of which 24 patients were treated with adjuvant radiation therapy, and 33 patients did not receive adjuvant radiation therapy. Survival outcomes were compared between the 2 treatment groups. The primary endpoint was locoregional recurrence-free survival rate. Results: The median follow-up period for all patients was 10.3 years (range, 2.8-19.2 years}. The 15-year locoregional recurrence-free survival rate was 80.5% for those who received adjuvant radiation therapy and 28.1% for those who did not (p