Clinicopathological Predictors of Recurrence in Papillary Thyroid Carcinoma

The goal of this observational study is to identify demographic and clinicopathological factors associated with disease recurrence in adults with histologically confirmed papillary thyroid carcinoma (PTC) who achieved an initial disease-free status after primary treatment. The main questions it aims to answer are: Which demographic and clinicopathological characteristics are associated with an increased risk of PTC recurrence? Researchers will compare patients who developed biochemical or structural recurrence with those who remained recurrence-free to assess the prognostic role of age, sex, tumor size, histological subtype, vascular invasion, capsular invasion, gross invasion of the prethyroid strap muscles, concomitant thyroiditis, multifocality, lymph-node status, and pathological stage. As this is a retrospective study, participants will not undergo any study-specific intervention or additional procedure. Researchers will review existing demographic, surgical, pathological, treatment, and follow-up data from a prospectively maintained institutional database. Follow-up data include serial serum thyroglobulin measurements, neck ultrasonography, recurrence, and disease-specific mortality.

Inclusion Criteria: * histologically confirmed diagnosis of papillary thyroid carcinoma * no history of previous neck surgery * availability of complete clinical, pathological, treatment, and follow-up data; * achievement of an initial disease-free status after primary treatment * minimum follow-up of 60 months for patients who remained recurrence-free Exclusion Criteria: * histological diagnosis other than papillary thyroid carcinoma * previous neck surgery * incomplete clinical, pathological, treatment, or follow-up records * follow-up shorter than 60 months in patients without recurrence * biochemical or structural evidence of persistent disease after initial treatment