Le Cancer Thyroidien chez le sujet de plus de 70 ans. A propos de 91 cas.

Background: In numerous series, the mortality rate increases dramatically after age 60 years. For further authors the tumor stage and the histologic subset are more important prognostic factors compared to age. Our study aims to determine long term survival for thyroid carcinoma occurring after age 70 years and factors influencing mortality.Method: We carried out a retrospective study involving 86 patients older than 70 years operated on for a differentiated thyroid carcinoma between january 1998 and december 2002. Six patients were lost of follow up. For the other 80 patients the mean follow up was of 78 months (from 120 to 60 months).Results: The 5 years specific cancer survival was 75%. Six patients, all pT4 patients, died during the follow up. The 5 years specific cancer survival for patients with pT1, pT2 and pT3 patients was of 100% while it was of 75% for pT4. Concerning pT4 cancers, 5 years specific cancer survival was of 100% in case of follicular cancer, of 69% in case of mixed papillary and follicular cancer and of 66% in case of papillary carcinoma.Conclusion: This study shows that the apparent aggressiveness of well differentiated carcinoma does not seem to be in relation with age but with the frequency of pT4 carcinomas in the elderly. These pT4 carcinomas are probably old cancers not diagnosed before and progressing since numerous years.