We performed a retrospective study of 859 patients with papillary thyroid cancer, who had
received their primary treatment at the Mayo Clinic during the period 1946 through 1970.
The maximal follow-up was 39 years. All but 2 patients underwent a thyroid operation; 319
(37%) had metastatic cervical nodes. Of the 800 patients without distant metastatic lesions
on initial examination who underwent a potentially curative surgical procedure,
postoperatively 7% had nodal metastatic lesions, 6% had a local tumor recurrence, and 5 …

We retrospectively analyzed the outcome of all patients who received their primary treatment
for follicular thyroid cancer at the Mayo Clinic between 1946 and 1970. The diagnosis was
confirmed by reexamination of preserved tissue specimens. The 57 female and 43 male
patients (mean age, 53 years) underwent follow-up for a maximum of 32 years (mean, 17.4
years). All patients were treated surgically, and total removal of primary tumor was thought to
have been accomplished in all but three. Only 2 of the 88 patients without distant metastatic …