Efficacy and safety of thermal ablation for T1N0M0 papillary thyroid cancer in pediatric and adolescent patients - a preliminary multicenter retrospective study.

[OBJECTIVES] To evaluate the efficacy and safety of thermal ablation (TA) for T1N0M0 PTC in pediatric and adolescent patients who refused surgery.

[MATERIALS AND METHODS] This was a retrospective multicenter study of 25 pediatric and adolescent patients (19 females) who underwent TA for T1N0M0 between August 2015 and November 2023. The median age of the patients was 18 years (range, 10-18 years), and the median follow-up time was 27 months (range, 12-60 months). Ablation zone disappearance, tumor progression, and complications were assessed.

[RESULTS] The technical success rate was 100%. The median time for ablation zone absorption was 12 months in the T1a group and 18 months in the T1b group (log-rank  = 0.027). The tumor progression rate was 4.0%, with one case of lymph node metastasis at the 24-month follow up. The 1-, 3- and 5-year progression free survival rates were 100%, 93.8%, and 93.8%, respectively. No major complications were encountered. Mild thyroid function abnormality was observed in two patients at the 1-month follow up, both of whom recovered without treatment.

[CONCLUSIONS] This multicenter study provideds evidence that TA is an effective and safe treatment option in selected pediatric and adolescent patients with T1N0M0 PTC.