Table 1.
Characteristics of the study population (n = 467).
| Characteristics | Levels | Total | Disease-Free | Recurred/Progressed | p-Value |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Demographic data | |||||
| Age, years | Median (IQR) | 46.0 (34.0–57.0) | 46.0 (34.0–56.0) | 51.5 (32.7–63.0) | 0.21 |
| <55 y | 321 (68.7) | 297 (70.2) | 24 (54.5) | 0.040 | |
| ≥55 y | 146 (31.3) | 126 (29.8) | 20 (45.5) | ||
| Sex | Female | 342 (73.2) | 313 (74) | 29 (65.9) | 0.28 |
| Male | 125 (26.8) | 110 (26) | 15 (34.1) | ||
| Ethnicity | Not Hispanic or Latino | 328 (70.2) | 292 (69) | 36 (81.8) | 0.17 |
| Hispanic or Latino | 36 (7.7) | 33 (7.8) | 3 (6.8) | ||
| Missing | 103 (22.1) | 98 (23.2) | 5 (11.4) | ||
| Race | White | 312 (66.8) | 279 (66) | 33 (75) | 0.018 |
| Asian | 48 (10.3) | 44 (10.4) | 4 (9.1) | ||
| Black | 16 (3.4) | 15 (3.5) | 1 (2.3) | ||
| American Indian or Alaska Native | 1 (0.2) | 0 (0) | 1 (2.3) | ||
| Missing | 90 (19.3) | 85 (20.1) | 5 (11.4) | ||
| Pathological assessment | |||||
| Primary tumor laterality | Right lobe | 201 (43) | 183 (43.3) | 18 (40.9) | 0.87 |
| Left lobe | 161 (34.5) | 145 (34.3) | 16 (36.4) | ||
| Bilateral | 81 (17.3) | 72 (17) | 9 (20.5) | ||
| Isthmus | 20 (4.3) | 19 (4.5) | 1 (2.3) | ||
| Missing | 4 (0.9) | 4 (0.9) | 0 (0) | ||
| Focality | Unifocal | 247 (52.9) | 223 (52.7) | 24 (54.5) | 0.72 |
| Multifocal | 214 (45.8) | 194 (45.9) | 20 (45.5) | ||
| Missing | 6 (1.3) | 6 (1.4) | 0 (0) | ||
| Histopathology type | Papillary | 363 (77.7) | 325 (76.8) | 38 (86.4) | 0.18 |
| Follicular | 104 (22.3) | 98 (23.2) | 6 (13.6) | ||
| Pathology Stage | Stage I | 271 (58) | 252 (59.6) | 19 (43.2) | 0.051 |
| Stage II | 48 (10.3) | 45 (10.6) | 3 (6.8) | ||
| Stage III | 99 (21.2) | 86 (20.3) | 13 (29.5) | ||
| Stage IV | 47 (10.1) | 38 (9) | 9 (20.5) | ||
| Missing | 2 (0.4) | 2 (0.5) | 0 (0) | ||
| T stage | T1a | 18 (3.9) | 17 (4) | 1 (2.3) | 0.009 |
| T1b | 120 (25.7) | 117 (27.7) | 3 (6.8) | ||
| T2 | 155 (33.2) | 141 (33.3) | 14 (31.8) | ||
| T3 | 155 (33.2) | 133 (31.4) | 22 (50) | ||
| T4a | 17 (3.6) | 13 (3.1) | 4 (9.1) | ||
| Missing | 2 (0.4) | 2 (0.5) | 0 (0) | ||
| N stage | N0 | 215 (46) | 201 (47.5) | 14 (31.8) | 0.053 |
| N1a | 86 (18.4) | 78 (18.4) | 8 (18.2) | ||
| N1b | 123 (26.3) | 104 (24.6) | 19 (43.2) | ||
| Nx | 43 (9.2) | 40 (9.5) | 3 (6.8) | ||
| M stage | M0 | 257 (55) | 237 (56) | 20 (45.5) | <0.001 |
| M1 | 8 (1.7) | 4 (0.9) | 4 (9.1) | ||
| Mx | 202 (43.3) | 182 (43) | 20 (45.5) | ||
| Extrathyroidal extension | Negative | 318 (68.1) | 295 (69.7) | 23 (52.3) | 0.06 |
| Minimal | 122 (26.1) | 103 (24.3) | 19 (43.2) | ||
| Advanced | 13 (2.8) | 12 (2.8) | 1 (2.3) | ||
| Missing | 14 (3) | 13 (3.1) | 1 (2.3) | ||
| Oncologic assessment | |||||
| BRAF mutation | Wild type | 87 (18.6) | 80 (18.9) | 7 (15.9) | 0.17 |
| Mutant | 225 (48.2) | 198 (46.8) | 27 (61.4) | ||
| Missing | 155 (33.2) | 145 (34.3) | 10 (22.7) | ||
| TERT mutation | Wild type | 329 (70.4) | 305 (72.1) | 24 (54.5) | 0.011 |
| Mutant | 31 (6.6) | 24 (5.7) | 7 (15.9) | ||
| Missing | 107 (22.9) | 94 (22.2) | 13 (29.5) | ||
| Mutation density | Median (IQR) | 0.51 (0.31–51.9) | 0.51 (0.31–0.70) | 0.64 (0.35–0.88) | 0.07 |
| ATA risk group | Low | 127 (27.2) | 121 (28.6) | 6 (13.6) | 0.002 |
| Intermediate | 233 (49.9) | 214 (50.6) | 19 (43.2) | ||
| High | 107 (22.9) | 88 (20.8) | 19 (43.2) | ||
| Intervention | |||||
| Radioactive iodine | Negative | 191 (40.9) | 171 (40.4) | 20 (45.5) | 0.36 |
| Positive | 17 (3.6) | 17 (4) | 0 (0) | ||
| Radiation treatment | Negative | 68 (14.6) | 65 (15.4) | 3 (6.8) | 0.20 |
| Positive | 140 (30) | 123 (29.1) | 17 (38.6) | ||
| Follow-up | |||||
| Mortality | Survived | 465 (99.6) | 423 (100) | 42 (95.5) | 0.009 |
| Died | 2 (0.4) | 0 (0) | 2 (4.5) | ||
| Overall survival, months | Median (IQR) | 31.0 (17.4–51.9) | 30.9 (16.8–50.2) | 42.1 (22.9–71.9) | 0.006 |
Data are represented as frequency (percentage), mean ± standard deviation (SD), or median and interquartile range (IQR). BMI: body mass index, LN: lymph node, EBRT: external beam radiation therapy. Two-sided Chi-square test, Student’s t-test, and Mann–Whitney U test were used. Bold values indicate significance at p-value < 0.05.