Table 1.
Study Participant Demographic and Clinical Characteristics
| Characteristic | All patients (N = 100), n (%) | Active surveillance (n = 71 [71%]), n (%) | Surgery (n = 29 [29%]), n (%) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Female sex | 74 (74.0) | 54 (76.1) | 20 (69.0) |
| Mean age (SD) (years) | 52.36 (15.41) | 54.82 (15.55) | 46.34 (13.52) |
| Marital status | |||
| Single | 15 (15.0) | 11 (15.5) | 4 (13.8) |
| Married/common-law | 74 (74.0) | 50 (70.4) | 24 (82.8) |
| Divorced/separated | 5 (5.0) | 4 (5.6) | 1 (3.4) |
| Widowed | 6 (6.0) | 6 (8.5) | 0 (0) |
| Have children | 77 (77.0) | 55 (77.5) | 22 (75.9) |
| Education | |||
| Did not finish high school | 10 (10.0) | 10 (14.1) | 0 (0) |
| Completed high school | 15 (15.0) | 14 (19.7) | 1 (3.4) |
| College or university degree | 50 (50.0) | 33 (46.5) | 17 (58.6) |
| Postgraduate or professional degree | 25 (25.0) | 14 (19.7) | 11 (37.9) |
| Employment | |||
| Employed | 67 (67.0) | 46 (64.8) | 21 (72.4) |
| Student (with or without paid work) | 3 (3.0) | 2 (2.8) | 1 (3.4) |
| Full-time homemaker or caregiver with no paid employment outside the home | 2 (2.0) | 1 (1.4) | 1 (3.4) |
| Unemployed | 6 (6.0) | 4 (5.6) | 2 (6.9) |
| Retired | 22 (22.0) | 18 (25.4) | 4 (13.8) |
| Born in Canada (1 missing response) | 48 (48.5) | 39 (55.7) | 9 (31.0) |
| Race/ethnicity | |||
| White | 60 (60.0) | 39 (54.9) | 21 (72.4) |
| Asian/Southeast Asian | 26 (26.0) | 22 (31.0) | 4 (13.8) |
| Middle Eastern | 6 (6.0) | 3 (4.2) | 3 (10.3) |
| Black | 3 (3.0) | 2 (2.8) | 1 (3.4) |
| Other | 5 (5.0) | 5 (7.0) | 0 |
| Resident of the city of Toronto at enrollment | 52 (52.0) | 40 (56.3) | 12 (41.4) |
| Referring surgeon affiliated to University Health Network | 68 (68.0) | 43 (60.6) | 25/29 (86.2) |
| Primary tumor size—median of largest dimension, mm (interquartile range) | 11 (8, 14) | 10 (8, 13) | 14 (10, 15) |
| Papillary microcarcinoma (≤1 cm in largest dimension) | 47 (47.0) | 39 (54.9) | 8 (27.6) |
| Mean thyrotropin concentration (mIU/L) (SD) | 1.76 (1.01) | 1.61 (0.86) | 2.15 (1.24) |
| Currently taking thyroid medication | 11 (11.0) | 7 (9.9) | 4 (13.8) |
| Thyroid cytologic diagnosis | |||
| PTC | 72 (72.0) | 55 (77.5) | 17 (58.6) |
| Suspicious for PTC | 28 (28.0) | 16 (22.5) | 12 (41.4) |
| Known family history of thyroid cancer | 15 (15.0) | 8 (11.3) | 7 (24.1) |
| History of head and neck external beam radiation treatment | 1 (1.0) | 0 | 1 (3.4) |
| History of significant environmental radiation exposure | 3 (3.0) | 2 (2.8) | 1 (3.4) |
| History of workplace radiation exposure | 3 (3.0) | 2 (2.8) | 1 (3.4) |
| History of nonthyroid cancer | 8 (8.0) | 6 (8.5) | 2 (6.9) |
| History of major surgery | 31 (31.0) | 20 (28.2) | 11 (37.9) |
| Current smoking | 4 (4.0) | 2 (2.8) | 2 (6.9) |
PTC, papillary thyroid cancer; SD, standard deviation.