CT Detection of Metastatic Lymphadenopathy in Papillary Thyroid Cancer

Localized thyroid cancer is potentially curable. Before thyroid surgery, an ultrasound test is done to see if cancer has spread to the lymph nodes in the neck. Excellent for evaluation of the thyroid gland, this test has limitations in evaluating larger anatomic areas, like all groups of lymph nodes in the neck. It has a limited area of coverage making it difficult to define an area of interest, depends on the skill level of the person performing it, and is difficult to exactly reproduce on follow-up. For these reasons, CT is often performed in these patients but without intravenous (IV) contrast since iodine-based contrast agents may saturate the thyroid, limiting the usefulness of other iodine-based diagnostic and treatment options. However, contrast-CT can give more detailed information about tumor spread including spread to lymph nodes. We aim to determine if use of IV contrast agent during CT leads to earlier and more accurate detection of lymph node disease from thyroid cancer.

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Key information

Conditions

Papillary Thyroid Cancer Adenocarcinoma Adenocarcinoma, Papillary Carcinoma Endocrine Gland Neoplasms Endocrine System Diseases Head and Neck Neoplasms Neoplasms Neoplasms by Histologic Type Neoplasms by Site Neoplasms, Glandular and Epithelial Thyroid Cancer, Papillary Thyroid Diseases Thyroid Neoplasms

Sex eligibility

All sexes

Study type

Interventional

Phase

Not applicable

About this study

Papillary thyroid cancer represents 75% of all epithelial thyroid malignancies. Imaging not only delineates the primary tumour within the thyroid gland, but also helps assess lymph nodal metastatic disease helping guide the extent of surgical neck dissection. Ultrasonography (US) is the current imaging standard (American Thyroid Association guidelines). However, US is limited by operator skills and lacks specific anatomic references essential to plan surgery. CT is performed to address these issues, often without intravenous (IV) contrast for fear of saturating thyroid tissue with iodine present in it, thus rendering iodine-labeled nuclear testing/treatment ineffective for a finite period of time. But post-contrast nodal enhancement is a predominant morphologic feature of suspicious lymphadenopathy in papillary thyroid cancer, and contrast-CT can facilitate an earlier detection. Iodine-saturation is not a concern in these patients as its concentration will normalize during recovery.

In pre-surgical thyroidectomy patients with proven papillary thyroid cancer, the use of intravenous (IV) CT contrast improves the reliability and accuracy of suspicious head and neck lymph node detection, in comparison to CT without IV contrast.

This study will help define the accuracy and reliability of intravenous (IV) contrast use in the detection of metastatic neck lymph nodes from papillary thyroid cancer. Improved detection of suspicious metastatic lymphadenopathy in papillary thyroid cancer will directly impact the patient's management since the surgical plan will be based upon the detection of these suspicious lymph nodes. CT imaging provides an anatomically relevant approach to surgery and is consistently reproducible, thus providing direct benefits to the pre-surgical assessment. Ultimately, this will result in decreased nodal recurrences within the neck.

Who can participate

Healthy volunteers accepted: No

Only the study team can determine whether someone qualifies for participation.

Inclusion criteria

Pre-operative thyroidectomy patients with pathology-proven papillary thyroid cancer (PTC) needing lymph node staging for potential neck dissection.

Exclusion criteria

Patients with history of prior surgery within the head and neck.
Patients with history of prior radiation to the head and neck.
Patients with history of lymphoma, leukemia, or other lymphoproliferative disorders affecting the head and neck.
Pregnant/breast feeding patients (by question).

Treatment and study plan

Use of IV contrast during head and neck CT

Diagnostic Test

Use of IV contrast during head and neck CT

Other names: Non-contrast-enhanced CT of the head and neck

Primary outcomes

Increased detection of suspicious lymph nodes in PTC with IV-contrast enhanced CT

Time frame: up to 7 years

Sponsors and collaborators

Lead sponsor

University Health Network, Toronto

Other

Registry information

Important dates

Study start: 2011
Primary completion: 2017
Study completion: 2017
First posted: Dec 2, 2017
Registry last updated: Dec 2, 2017

OpenTrials presents study information sourced from ClinicalTrials.gov. The official registry record should be consulted for the latest information.

View the official ClinicalTrials.gov record (opens in a new tab)

This listing is for discovery and informational purposes only. It is not medical advice, does not guarantee that a study is recruiting, and does not determine eligibility. Contact the study team and a qualified healthcare professional when considering participation.

Published trials that share one or more normalized conditions with this study.

Completed