This small study of 19 pregnant patients, who were diagnosed with papillary thyroid cancer before or during the early stages of pregnancy (up to 20 weeks), assessed the changes of thyroid tumours during pregnancy.
Conducted at a single centre over a 10-year period, changes in tumour size, volume and ultrasound (US) findings were evaluated. Serial neck US showed no clinically significant papillary cancer progression during pregnancy suggesting active surveillance with delayed surgery can be considered during pregnancy.
Three of the patients had lateral cervical lymph nodes at presentation. No additional lymph node metastases occurred and the extent of surgery was not altered with the delay in treatment. Limitations of the study include the power related to the small study population and many of the patients had micropapillary carcinomas.
